Message on the occasion of the International Day of Women Human Rights Defenders

November 29 is the International Women’s Human Rights Defenders Day. It is the day when the world honours the struggle of women defenders and recognises the positive impact of their activities, which are not limited to women’s lives but the entire human community. Women defenders are active everywhere in the world to support democracy and fundamental human rights, in addition to defending the principles of equality and non-discrimination and opposing various forms of gender-based inequality and violence.
Women and men human rights defenders are exposed to various forms of targeting and violations as a direct consequence of defending human rights. However, women defenders, in particular – regardless of the issue they are active in supporting – face double challenges. Their presence and work are a challenge to androcentrism in traditional societies and a taboo-breaking of the roles that confine women to the household work, away from the context of their activism and involvement in public affairs.
Women human rights defenders are subjected to targeting and stigmatisation, arbitrary arrest and trials, long-term imprisonment, as well as defamation and smear campaigns in an attempt to force them to silence and withdraw from the public sphere. Previous forms of oppression may overlap and multiply due to other characteristics women defenders have, such as race, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, social class, political opinion, and so forth.
Today, we appreciate and value all the sacrifices made by women human rights defenders in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, especially women human rights defenders in conflict zones and occupied territories. We praise the struggle of our female colleagues in the occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Libya.
On this day, we also remember our dear colleague Mai Gamal Mustafa, the Egyptian feminist researcher and human rights defender who was murdered with her husband as a result of the Israeli occupation army’s bombardment of her husband’s family home in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of this November.
Finally, we promise to make every effort to support women human rights defenders and support their right to practice their legitimate, peaceful activities safely and in an environment free of all forms of stigma, violence and discrimination.

Gohoud to support Human Rights Defenders.