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Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The increased scale of acts of reprisal against environmental human rights defenders protesting against environmental harms caused by projects funded by international financial institutions is disquieting. The submissions received revealed large gaps between professed commitments to participation and accountability and the situation on the ground, pointing to an overwhelming failure by those institutions to assess risks and respond to reprisals effectively. One report documented case studies in Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Uganda and Uzbekistan of reprisals taking a variety of forms. The critics of projects funded by the World Bank Group were reportedly the target of threats, intimidation tactics and baseless criminal charges. Some women faced sexual harassment or gender-based threats, attacks, or insults when they spoke out. Security forces responded violently to peaceful protests, physically assaulting community members and arbitrarily arresting them. In other cases, critics or their family members were threatened with the loss of their jobs or livelihoods. In many countries, such reprisals often occurred within a broader effort to demonize critics as unpatriotic or "anti-development".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Finally, women defenders complained about women being depicted first as victims, and not as fully fledged actors bringing about change. The role of women defenders is still little known or recognized. They come up against numerous hurdles in their own family, their community and the organizations they work in. Women defenders described national contexts in which they were still perceived as second class players, whose expertise applied only to certain areas and whose contribution to the observance and promotion of human rights remained for the most part invisible. They complained that they were not fully brought into consultation processes, particularly as regards development projects. It should also be pointed out that, in their separate sessions with the Special Rapporteur, women defenders described the situation within non-governmental organizations, where stereotypes favouring men persist. They reported difficulties in being recognized by their male colleagues, in management or decision-making positions. Several women personally invited by the Special Rapporteur to take part in the regional consultations had found themselves replaced by a male colleague.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- These 693 communications concerned the cases of 1,293 persons, including 278 women human rights defenders. Women were the subject of roughly 22 per cent of communications in 2014 and 21 per cent of communications in 2015. The figure for 2016 has not yet been established.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Protection practices should contribute to the full respect of the rights of environmental human rights defenders and strengthen their security. The Special Rapporteur outlined seven principles that undergird effective protection practices for human rights defenders: they should be rights-based, inclusive, gender-sensitive, focused on "holistic security"', oriented to individuals and collectives, participatory and flexible (A/HRC/31/55).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Elements of a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders 2014, para. 125
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur believes that it is crucial that defenders strive for high standards of professionalism and ethical behaviour when carrying out human rights activities. They should also recognize the important work of women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights and gender issues, and strive towards empowering them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Two communications concerning women defenders working on land and environmental issues were sent to the African region namely to Angola and Nigeria.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- All of the communications sent to countries in the Asia Pacific region related to women defenders working on these issues indicated State actors as the alleged perpetrators of the violations (6). Of these communications, one dealt with death threats (Philippines) and five dealt with arrest and detention (India 3, China, Nepal).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Women human rights defenders working on land and environmental rights issues have been the subject of a number of communications (25) sent during the reporting period to countries in the Americas (17), Asia Pacific (6) and Africa (2).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Selected groups of defenders at risk: journalists and media workers, defenders working on land and environment issues; and youth and student defenders 2012, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- In 2011, the Special Rapporteur presented her third report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/16/44) where she focused on the situation, risks and challenges faced by women human rights defenders and those working on women's rights and gender issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Use of legislation to regulate activities of human rights defenders 2012, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that the Human Rights Committee has found adult consensual sexual activity in private to be part of a person's privacy, which is protected under article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR/C/50/D/488/1992, para. 8.2). Laws criminalizing consensual homosexual acts conducted in private violate a person's rights to privacy and to freedom from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, in breach of applicable international human rights law (A/HRC/19/41, para. 41). Defenders working on these issues are advocating human rights standards that are internationally recognized. States should therefore ensure that defenders working to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights can do so in a conducive and open environment without fear of persecution. Given that it is the right of human rights defenders to develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate their acceptance under article 7 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, it is the responsibility of the State to ensure that its legislation relating to public morals caters to this right and does not compromise the rights of defenders to freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Use of legislation to regulate activities of human rights defenders 2012, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- With regard to freedom of expression, these laws have an equally detrimental effect, given that publishing an article or expressing an opinion in favour of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people may expose someone to criminal prosecution. This leads to self-censorship among defenders working on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- In general, responses received indicate that in the vast majority of cases there are no specific mechanisms in place to protect women defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues or, where they do exist, they are often hampered by a lack of implementation, political will or gender-sensitivity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- An alarming number of women human rights defenders and their relatives have paid the highest price for their work. During the 2004-2009 period, 39 communications were sent regarding killings of one or more defenders, their family members, or female relatives of male human rights defenders, along with thirty-five communications regarding attempted killings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Finally, 18 communications were sent regarding threats and death threats against those working in the Middle East and North Africa. Of these, eight concerned defenders working on women's rights, while various others concerned women defenders working on issues such as the rights of minorities, refugees, as well as on enforced and involuntary disappearances.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- During the period (2004-2009) cited, the mandate sent 292 communications that expressed concern in relation to threats and death threats against women defenders or those working on women's rights or gender-related issues and their family members. Of these, 130 explicitly concerned death threats.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- From 2004 to 2009, the mandate also sent 42 communications concerning women defenders working on often overlapping human rights issues related to imprisonment, including political prisoners, the death penalty, and the alleged prevalence of the practice of torture or ill-treatment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Between 2004 and 2009, the Special Rapporteur sent an average of 350 communications to Governments per year, including allegation letters and urgent appeals. Of these, about one third of the communications concerned women defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues (target group).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- The acknowledgment of the particular situation and role of women human rights defenders and those defending women's rights or gender issues implies the upholding of the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination. This is essential to recognizing the specific challenges and risks this group of defenders faces and to ensure their protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Notwithstanding the legal recognition of the legitimacy of their work, women defenders continue to face significant challenges. Since its inception, the mandate has, both in its thematic and mission reports and other aspects of its work, consistently addressed the specificities of the situation of women human rights defenders and the particular challenges they face.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Women defenders often face more risks than their male counterparts when participating in collective public action because of perceptions of the traditional role of women in some societies, and they become targets of non-State actors. In some cases, retaliation against women defenders takes such forms as rape and sexual assault, which can have adverse social consequences in addition to causing physical and psychological harm.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Concerning protection measures for women defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues, in the vast majority of cases there are no specific mechanisms in place or, where they do exist, they are often hindered by a lack of implementation, political will or gender specificity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Security and protection of human rights defenders 2010, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Women defenders are most likely to be subjected to certain forms of violence, especially since they frequently work on specific issues that challenge established customs or norms and are therefore often culturally sensitive. Such gender-based violence includes verbal and sexual harassment and rape. Since January 2009, the Special Rapporteur has sent 86 communications concerning the situation of women defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has been made aware of cases in which newspapers have directly incited homophobia or portrayed defenders working on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights as homosexuals. In one particular case, such defenders had to go into hiding, fearing for their physical safety and psychological integrity following the publication of their names and pictures in newspapers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- Information provided indicates that, in a number of countries, working groups on the implementation of the European Union (EU) Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders have been established, with a view to developing a local implementation strategy. Women defenders and those working on women's rights or gender issues at risk could have recourse to various means of support provided by different stakeholders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- In the Middle East and North African region, the 13 communications sent indicate that women's rights defenders in Iraq face risks such as killings, death threats, and armed attacks. By contrast, activists for women's rights in Bahrain, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates reported harassment of a more judicial nature, such as arrests, violations of freedom of assembly, and travel bans.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- This attention to the situation of women human rights defenders was further mandated by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 7/8 in which, when renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a further three years, it requested that the Special Rapporteur "integrate a gender perspective throughout the work of his/her mandate, paying particular attention to the situation of women human rights defenders".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Good practices in the protection of human rights defenders 2016, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Some defenders work on issues that are political, culturally and socially sensitive - issues that other defenders within the same sociopolitical milieu might not support instinctively. Women defenders and defenders who work on sexual orientation and gender identity rights, for example, often struggle to have their rights recognized in certain contexts. It is important for defenders within the same context to understand and support one another, even if they focus on different rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Good practices in the protection of human rights defenders 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- As mentioned above, experiences of violence, risk and security are often gender-based. Women human rights defenders report how they suffer more from verbal abuse, sexual violence and rape; how gender stereotypes are used to delegitimize their work; and how other factors, such as ethnicity, age, class and sexual orientation, exacerbate the discrimination they face. They emphasize the need for gender-sensitive protection measures that focus on holistic security.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Good practices in the protection of human rights defenders 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Gender influences the way that defenders experience risks and threats. Discrimination on the basis of gender is linked to other factors, such as ethnicity, religion, class, age, health or sexual orientation. The intersection of these factors produces different vulnerabilities for women. For this reason, it is critical for gender analysis to adopt an intersectionality lens, examining how the combination of such factors has an impact on the rights and security of women defenders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Elements of a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders 2014, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- Defenders working on the right of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender persons are subjected to stigmatization and attacks by, inter alia, community and faith leaders or groups and the media. The Special Rapporteur has raised the difficult situation of this group in various communications and during country visits. She has also recommended that authorities remove legal provisions that hinder and stigmatize these defenders' work, and provide them with adequate protection and public support.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph