The WHRD IC is a resource and advocacy network for the protection and support of women human rights defenders worldwide. An international initiative created out of the international campaign on women human rights defenders launched in 2005, the Coalition calls attention to the recognition of women human rights defenders. It asserts that those advocating for women’s human rights - no matter what gender or sexual orientation they claim - are in fact human rights defenders. Their gender or the nature of their work has made them the subject of attacks, requiring gender-sensitive mechanisms for their protection and support. The Coalition involves women activists as well as men who defend women’s rights and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) defenders and groups committed to the advancement of women’s human rights and sexual rights. The Coalition is currently composed of the following 21 members:

Amnesty International (AI)
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum Asia)
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
Baobab for Women’s Human Rights
Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR)
Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)
Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL)
Front Line International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (Front Line)
Human Rights First
Information Monitor (Inform)
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW‐AP)
ISIS‐Women’s International Cross‐Cultural Exchange (ISIS‐WICCE)
The Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM)
MADRE
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights (UAF)
Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ)
Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)
World Organization against Torture (OMCT)




What is the Coalition doing?

Production of Documentation Manual
Building on the distinct analysis and description of violations against women human rights defenders developed in Claiming Justice, Claiming Rights: A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders, this manual is intended to be a resource for defenders and organisations documenting violations related to women human rights defenders.

Monitoring Mechanism for Urgent Appeals
Members of the Coalition respond to requests for urgent appeals from women human rights defenders at risk. This initiative is intended to track the trends and patterns of the violations and facilitate a systematic, comprehensive system of responding to these appeals that meet the specific needs of women human rights defenders.

Public Education and Policy Advocacy
Coalition members undertake advocacy at the United Nations and at regional levels to support the development of constructive policies and analysis that is sensitive to women human rights defenders’ concerns. The Coalition organises events to raise public awareness and draw attention towards the recognition of women human rights defenders and the legitimacy of their work.

Global Report on Women Human Rights Defenders
This project is a follow up to a survey on the situation of women human rights defenders conducted by the Coalition in 2008. It is intended to inform the Coalition’s advocacy on women’s human rights defenders before the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders and in other fora.

Advocacy on ‘Sustaining Activism’ with donors
To develop a more comprehensive, multi‐faceted and long‐term system of support for women human rights defenders, the Coalition has begun engaging with donors to discuss both new and tested human rights approaches to sustain women human rights defenders, their organisations and movements.

Impact since 2005

Public attention towards the recognition of women human rights defenders and the legitimacy of their work increased internationally as well as at national levels

More resources of human rights and women’s rights organisations were mobilised to respond to appeals from women human rights defenders

More Coalition members integrated women human rights defenders in their programming and analysis, and more organizations have joined the Coalition

Shared information and analyses added value to the bodies of work of member organisations and generated new discourse and analysis within defender groups and networks

Advocacy at regional and global levels has ensured policy development that is sensitive to women human rights defenders concerns



Contextualising the International Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders