On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Peace Brigades International – PBI – expresses its deepest support for the women who dedicate their lives to the defence and promotion of human rights. Women human rights defenders form a diverse group which includes journalists, community leaders, lawyers, health and education workers, trade-union activists and members of indigenous or marginalised communities, who work to defend these rights, very often in a context of risk to themselves and their families.
In spite of such risk, women human rights defenders continue to advocate for the rights of women, their families, communities and societies on a wide range of issues such as access to healthcare and justice, economic, social and cultural rights, environmental and land issues, and in the fight against impunity for human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances
In all the countries in which PBI works, we have witnessed first-hand the courage and resolve of women human rights defenders. Many face threats to themselves and their families on a regular basis, others are stigmatised for tackling issues not traditionally dealt with by women, and yet more have been victims of physical and sexual violence, and even been forcibly disappeared or killed; as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya states, ‘an alarming number of women human rights defenders and their relatives have paid the highest price for their work’1. Yet such women continue with their valuable work and they deserve our support and recognition.
We note that the Special Rapporteur has made reference to ‘the alarming proportion of violations and harassment of women defenders related to celebrations on International Women’s Day’2, and we hope that this year, the day provides an occasion to celebrate and recognise women human rights defenders and their right to carry out their important work without fear of harm to themselves or their families. In this context, PBI extends its heartfelt encouragement and support to all women human rights defenders throughout the world in their valuable work in defence of human rights.
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1 A/HRC/16/44 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, 20 December 2010 www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/16session/A-HRC-16-44.pdf
2 ibid.