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Tangible Protection Mechanisms for Women Human Rights Defenders in the MENA and Beyond

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Tangible Protection Mechanisms for Women Human Rights Defenders in the MENA and Beyond A Preliminary Inquiry: Tangible Protection Mechanisms for Women Human Rights Defenders in the MENA and Beyond PRIMARY AUTHOR AND RESEARCHER: KESHIA PENDIGRAST CO-AUTHORS: MARYAM AL-KHAWAJA AND WEAAM YOUSSEF ACKNOWLEDGmentS The GCHR WOULD LIKE TO thanK ALL thOSE whO COntribUted and MADE thiS repOrt POSSibLE NAZra FOR FeminiST STUdieS the reGIOnaL COALitiON OF WHRDS in the mena AW I D CIVICUS THE URGent ACtiON FUnd UN WOmen Unnamed interviewed whrdS DediCatiON "WE HONOR the dead, and FIGht LIKE heLL FOR the LivinG (MOther JOneS)" TO ALL the WOmen whO have been tarGeted and KILLED beCAUSE theY dared Stand ON the FROntLineS OF the StrUGGLE FOR ChanGE and HUman riGhtS. TO ALL the Unnamed and FACELESS WOmen whO StrUGGLED and died withOUT the reCOGnitiON theY deServe. 1 The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) 1 is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental organization that works to provide support and protection to human rights defenders in the Gulf region by promoting freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. We defend the right for women to protect human rights in their own contexts. The Gulf region and neighbouring countries, i.e Middle East and North Africa (MENA), represent some of the toughest regions in the world for a woman to be outspoken about human rights. Despite those circumstances, women continue to be vocal, and we seek to guarantee our continued support and assistance to help them pursue their work. Advocacy: GCHR advocacy projects are implemented in three different ways. GCHR has active participation in the large majority of sessions at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council and General Assembly (GA) sessions, where we administer events in collaboration with international, regional and national partners. We also seek funding for human rights defenders (HRDs) and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) to participate as panelists. In follow-up to these side events, individual meetings between the HRDs and government and international organization representatives are facilitated. Separate advocacy missions are also administered, where we develop our advocacy plan for a more efficient outcome. Finally, we utilize social media advocacy strategies to highlight cases of HRDs in danger. Capacity building: As we have witnessed a development in challenges and an increase in the need for tools to mitigate risks, GCHR routinely administers workshops for HRDs in the MENA region, covering 10 different countries. WHRDs specifically have participated in trainings related to, but not limited to, physical security, digital security, well-being and stress management, communications, and data visualization. We have also shifted from reactionary training to long term training and coaching, which keeps WHRDs on track of developments and capable of reaching out to a wider and more skilled network in an easier and faster way. Research: GCHR upholds its commitment to highlighting cases of HRDs by administering joint reports on HRDs, highlighting the cases of WHRDs, and focusing on the documentation of violations carried out against the latter in the Gulf region and the neighbouring countries (including Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Iran and Egypt). Although Egypt is not covered by our mandate, we take up cases at times if partner organizations are being targeted. Our research is currently focused on the preventative approach to protection, and it aims to build a collective and comprehensive strategy for sustainable reporting and protecting WHRDs. Protection: Through our network of partners and supporting INGOs and donors, our protection programme is designed to be cooperative, focusing on the urgent cases requiring immediate actions such as relocation scheme, assistance fund, or gaining international protection. We strive to maintain the enabling protective environment for the work of WHRDs, by following-up on their cases, providing them with well-being and security training, and establishing networks between them. The primary researcher and author: Keshia Pendigrast is an independent researcher with the GCHR, and a graduate student at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. Her research focuses on postcolonial feminist theory, female sexuality and liberation theology. She was born and raised in Sri Lanka and currently a resident of the United States. She has had no direct exposure to life in the MENA regions, on which most of this report is based. The co-author: Maryam Al-Khawaja is the Co-Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, a board member of the International Service for Human Rights, a member of Bahrain Watch, and one of the initiators of the Women’s Network. She is a Bahraini WHRD from the MENA region, living in exile. As an internationally known WHRD, she has worked closely with WHRDs from around the world, and has conducted research on WHRDs and Women Rights CSOs through several consultations and field missions. She has won multiple awards for her human rights work. The co-author: Weaam Youssef is a human rights officer at the GCHR. She is coordinating WHRDs, research development and protection programs. She holds an MA in Applied Human Rights, has received numerous fellowships and scholarships to study issues related to women in conflict, refugee studies and migration policies. She holds a BA in English Literature and is currently pursuing a degree in Humanitarian Diplomacy. She has worked for the Arab League, the UN and CSOs. Her research focuses on issues related to human rights, humanitarianism and displacement post-conflict. [1] http://www.gc4hr.org/page/about_us [Report cover photo] WHRD Shaima AlSabbagh, shot and killed by Egyptian security forces during a peaceful protest, 24 January 2015. Photo credit: Reuters 2 INDEX Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Objectives 3 Methodology: A feminist perspective 4 Context 5 Problem S in Definition: Who is a Women Human Rights Defender? 6 Existing mechanisms and systemic barriers 7 Step one: Building a holistic strategy 8 Recommendations 3 executive summary The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is rife with In the last couple of years, the crackdown on WHRDs in political instability, a legacy of conflicts, and human the MENA region and worldwide reached a peak and rights violations. In 2016, it continues to suffer one of the exposed an urgent need to: 1) reassess the current worst humanitarian and human rights crises since the international protection mechanisms, 2) identify the World War II. The recent events of the so-called “Arab gaps in impact and protections, 3) work on preventative Spring” opened a window of hope for the human rights measures to ensure the sustainability of protection, 4) activists, groups, and organizations for an opportunity shift from a post-violation to pre-violation methodology to enact widespread systemic change. However, current of actions on violations against WHRDs, and 5) enable geopolitical wars, policies and violent government regimes a defensible environment for WHRDs to carry out have increased the volatility in the MENA region: human their legitimate activities in defending their rights and rights violations are committed and permitted under the human rights of all. The work of the Gulf Centre tactics of ‘counter terrorism’ and ‘national security’. During for Human Rights (GCHR) and other NGOs have peaceful public protests and uprisings in the region, documented and reported violations against WHRDs women have taken leading roles in defending the human in various countries under their mandate. Protection rights of their own and wider communities. The centrality has been demanded for WHRDs largely in reaction to that Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) have a particular violation or event, on an individual case-by- played in each of these movements and protests cannot case basis. This report investigates current trends and be understated. Their methods of activism have taken threats facing WHRDs in the MENA region and beyond a variety of forms: research, direct action and activism, by drawing on individual accounts of WHRDs, reflecting roles in public communication, direct assistance etc. that on their experiences, their daily struggle in defending have all played crucial roles in holding governing bodies human rights, and by focusing on the adaptability and accountable as well as in demanding change. As WHRDs mitigation measures often taken by these women in the MENA region bravely face and challenge many to protect themselves within restrictive spaces and societal norms by their very manifestation as women who hazardous domains. Based on these accounts, the simultaneously defend human rights, they are frequently researchers of this report attempt to find alternatives subject to threats such as judicial and online harassment, to reactionary measures, by suggesting new tools and arrests, detention, abduction, kidnappings, torture, mechanisms to help WHRDs be protected, secure, safe enforced disappearances and even killings. Women face and enabled. particular challenges compared to their counterpart male activists; threats that take extreme forms of defamation, stigmatisation, social pressure, gender and sexual-based violence as well as marginalization and discrimination. Introduction. This report aims to initiate a discussion around various thematic areas, including the definitions of WHRDs and how these relate to definitions used by United Nations mechanisms, including by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of HRDs. Objectives. This section encompasses several components. It introduces the researcher
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