Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders
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Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition January 2012 Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders January 2012 ISBN: 978-616-90352-7-5 Copyright © 2012 Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD International Coalition) Published by: WHRD International Coalition through the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum Asia) Contact details available at: www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised, without prior written permission, provided the source is fully acknowledged. Writer: Kaavya Asoka Editor: Stephanie Long Coordination and Editorial team: Immaculada Barcia, Cecile Gaa, Eleanor Openshaw, and Misun Woo Layout and design: Edgardo Legaspi Published with support from: 2 Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................3 Executive Summary.............................................................................................3 Introduction and Guide to Reading the Global Report................3 Chapter 1 Contexts in which WHRDs work......................................1 A. Contexts Characterized by Fundamentalist and Other Discourses...........................................................3 B. Contexts Characterized by Militarism and Situations of Conflict.................................................. 25 C. Contexts Characterized by Globalization..................... 39 D. Contexts Characterized by Crises of Democracy and Governance....................................... 53 E.. Contexts Characterized by Heteronormativity........... 73 Chapter 2 Violations against WHRDs............................................... 89 Chapter 3 Strategies to address the situation of WHRDs............................................................................... 108 Conclusion..................................................................................................... 130 Annex: Case Grid............................................................................................ 132 About WHRD International Coalition..............................................135 Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders iii The Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders is an initiative of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD International Coalition) to articulate the challenges faced by women human rights defenders and how best to respond to them. The WHRD International Coalition Global Report Working Group, which produced this report, is made up of the following organisations: • Amnesty International (AI) • Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) • Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) • Association for Women’s Rights and Development (AWID) • Front Line Defenders • International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) • Isis International • ISIS – Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange (ISIS WICCE) • Information Monitor (INFORM) • International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) • Peace Brigades International (PBI) • Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights (UAF) • Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) • World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) Acknowledgements First and foremost we would like to acknowledge all the women human rights defenders who described and analysed their experiences for inclusion in this report, and who through their work and commitment to defending human rights inspire us all. We would like to thank the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) for submitting case studies for inclusion in the report. Thanks to Kaavya Asoka for writing the overall analysis contained in the report piecing it to- gether from Coalition materials on the situation of WHRDs, and informing it by the insights contained in the case studies. Thank you for your patience in responding to all the feedback from the Working Group and helping produce a very comprehensive report on the situation of women human rights defenders. Many thanks to Stephanie Long for patiently editing the report. We appreciate so much that the editing process ensured women’s stories are carefully preserved. To Edgardo Legaspi for proofreading, doing the layout, and coordinating the printing of the report. We are grateful for the valuable comments from Susana Fried and Cynthia Rothschild on draft chapters. Your insights have deeply improved this Global Report. Immaculada Barcia, Marie Becher, Cecile Gaa, Eleanor Openshaw, and Misun Woo for coordina- tion, and ensuring the completion of this process. Cordaid funded this project and we are hugely grateful for their support. iv Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders Executive Summary The Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders, hereon referred to as the Global Report, reflects the growing body of analyses produced by the members of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD International Coalition) since 2005. It demonstrates the evolution of our articulation of challenges to women human rights defenders (WHRDs), the source of these challenges and how best to respond to them. The use of 43 cases studies selected by WHRD International Coalition illuminate specific trends and experiences of WHRDs. The cases provide a vivid glimpse of the landscape in which WHRDs live and work. The main focus of the Global Report is on the context in which WHRDs work, recognizing that the social, cultural, economic and political environment substantively influences the challenges WHRDs face and can exacerbate their vulnerability. Identifying context also enables the experience of WHRDs to be understood as more than individual occurrences, but rather as part of a sys- temic and structural oppression of WHRDs because of their gen- der and/or the work that they do on gender-related issues. Focus- ing this report on context is testament to the analytical tools and frameworks used by WHRD groups to identify the root causes of risks to defenders and appropriate ways to respond. The premise of Global Report is that patriarchal and heteronorma- tive ideologies shape the diverse and often inter-woven contexts in which WHRDs work. Patriarchal ideologies are the socially con- structed privileging of male power in all forms of social relations. Heteronormative ideologies both privilege heterosexuality and rig- idly define so called ‘normal’ gender identities, roles, sexuality and sexual relations. Both patriarchal and heteronormative ideologies have informed the development of social structures and institutions, cultural and religious beliefs and norms, laws, policies and other forms of public discourses that have resulted in the perpetuation of gender discrimination and inequality. The Global Report examines contexts in which the work of WHRDs is informed by five key phenomena—fundamentalisms; militariza- tion and situations of conflict; globalization; crises of democracy or governance; and heteronormativity. Each context and its rela- tion to underlying patriarchal and heteronormative discourses are explored through analysis and case studies. However, it is also clear that the division of experiences into separate contexts is arbitrary as more-often there is considerable interplay between contexts. Global Report on the Situation of Women Human Rights Defenders v A closer look at each context has also shown the emergence of new challenges, perpetrators, and forms of violations against WHRDs. Fundamentalisms, the growth of fundamentalist forces, has not only meant that WHRDs are now dealing with adversaries that are po- litically and economically stronger today, but that WHRDs must also respond to a general increase in conservatism across the board. It is not only in religious countries where fundamentalisms pose a threat to women, but also in secular States, where fundamentalist actors are gaining power and legitimacy. The growth in militarization and situations of conflicts of different parts of the world has also heralded the resurgence of old and emergence of new challenges for WHRDs. Militarization of societ- ies supports the growth of fundamentalisms, as well as strengthened patriarchal and heteronormative ideologies and practices, because of their mutually reinforcing effects on the increased subordination of women and the propagation of violent masculinities. The lack of recognition of the role of WHRDs in responding to situations of conflict is also shown to make them more vulnerable to attacks, especially where the risk of violence against women, particularly sexual violence, is already high. The Global Report explores the impact of globalization on economic, social and cultural rights as well as restrictions of civil and politi- cal rights. The continued growth in the power and influence of the private sector, which is bolstered by endorsement of States for the purposes of economic gain, poses a number of challenges to WHRDs. Marginalization of Indigenous Peoples and impoverished communities under globalization is exacerbated when combined with democratic failure to hold economic actors to account. This gives rise to a range of non-State based actors that WHRDs con- tend with, who often act with impunity. Undemocratic and authoritarian regimes illustrates the many settings in which WHRDs