Urgent responses for women human rights defenders at risk: mapping and preliminary assessment

This report prepared by Inmaculada Barcia in 2011 for the Association for Women's Rightsⁱ in Development (AWID) is a resource specifically designed for women human rights defendersⁱ. 17 organizations - most of them members of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition - were interviewed in order to contribute to the mapping of the diverse responses and specific measures currently being offered to protect women defenders from governmentⁱs, as well as from non-governmental sectors.

It also recognizes and evaluates the effects of international pressure and visibility (urgent appeals, working with international and regional mechanisms, sponsorship programs, awards, solidarity and monitoring visits, trial observation), resources for local action (legal assistance, medical and psychosocial counselling, stress management programs, safe houses, among others) and support for relocation and other grants.

The interviewees highlighted that one of the biggest challenges for receiving protection is to be recognized as human rights defenders. They also stressed the need for greater awareness among grassroots activists of the resources currently available for their work, in addition to finding long term solutions to specific cases. This report is expected to increase collaboration and to build a collective strategy to protect women human rights defenders.