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The campaign aspires that:

  • Women human right defenders are treated as equal partners and leaders in the defense and promotion of human rights.
  • Women human right defenders are recognized and protected from the discrimination and violations they face in their work because of their sexuality.
  • Goverments,NGOs and other members of civil society address the specific concerns of women human rights defenders and protect them in accordance with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,and other internationnal instruments and mechanisms.
  • For governments to repeal all laws and other measures, including anti-terrorism

The campaign demands:

  • regulations, that violate human rights and pose risks to human rights defenders,including women.
  • For the UN and human rights groups to develop new mechanisms for more effective accountability of non-State actors for violations against women and women human rights defenders.
  • For governments, international financial institutions and funding agencies to ensure allocation of adequate funding and resources for the full protection of women human rights defenders and the promotion of their rights.
  • For governments, NGOs and members of social and other movements to undertake measures to protect those who are persecuted because of their advocacy on sexual rights and eliminate all forms of discrimination against persons of different sexual orientation, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.
  • For human rights organizations and members of social and other movements to develop programmes and allocate sufficient resources for the protection of women human rights defenders and to respond to gender-based violations against them.
  • For governments, NGOs and members of social and other movements to recognize that women human rights defenders are human rights defenders in their own right and that they should be consulted on issues relating to their security and protection as human rights defenders.
  • For the UN to continue to support the mandate of the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, and ensure that a focus on women human rights defenders remains a core aspect of that person's work in order to develop and maintain effective, appropriate and accessible protection for women human rights defenders.
  • For the office of the UN Commission on Human Rights to provide technical support and resources to relevant UN and state agencies, including national human rights commissions, to implement the recommendations of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, particularly on the prevention of violations and protection of women human rights defenders.

The campaign calls for:

Recognition of women human rights defenders
Resistance to State violence
Responsibility by non-State actors
Realization of all human rights for all!




A campaign for the recognition and protection of human rights defenders, particularly women, who are activists advocating for the realisation of human rights for all