This day that falls during the 16 Days of Activism is the International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. On this ICWEA would like to celebrate all women and men that strive to defend and ensure that women enjoy their rights.
The journey to enjoyment of rights by women has been a long one. It is yet to be completed. Thankfully, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Making progress one step at a time, we will eventually concur.
Unfortunately, women working for rights and equality faced unique and growing challenges driven by deep-rooted discrimination. Some were being killed for their courageous stand; others faced violence, harassment, social stigma and sometimes imprisonment.
Every day, women and girls take action that makes them become identifies as human rights defenders and undertake individually and collectively actions in pursuit of justice, equality, peace, and human rights for themselves and for other women and girls.
Speaking out against violation of any right puts one at risk of limitless consequences for that action from the violators. It takes a lot of courage to speak out against violation and defend women rights. The discrimination and unique challenges faced by women human rights defenders affect their health, life, relationships and families, particularly for those who work for issues contested by fundamentalist groups, such as sexual and reproductive rights.
For women living with HIV, our rights are abused doubly, first because we are women and secondly because we are living with HIV. This make the work of defenders of rights of women living with HIV even much harder.
Women’s organizations also struggle disproportionately with access to resources and political support. A good of UN rights experts note that women who denounce violence against women, particularly in rural or semi-urban areas, are also at high risk, along with those living in conflict areas and those facing social stigma because of their ethnicity, disability, age or sexual preference. “Some out of fear of the likely do not even dare to identify themselves as human rights defenders,” the experts say.
But despite the challenges, many defender have stood up tall and condemned abuse of our rights. On this day, we applaud all such women and girls and men and encourage them to never give up until we reach the light at the end of the tunnel. #16DaysofActivism
