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Joint oral statement by Women Human Rights Defenders
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
May 07, 2005

This statement was made on behalf of the international campaign for women human rights defenders which denounced the detention of women from WOZA after the elections. It was read at the plenary of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Co-sponsors: Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Centre for Women’s Global Leadership, Madre, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, the International Service for Human Rights, World Young Women's Christian Association, Asia-Japan Women’s Resource Centre, Korea Women’s Associations United, International Women’s Rights Action Watch – Asia Pacific, Pax Romana and International Young Catholic Students

Women advocating for all human rights take tremendous risks to challenge the status quo and to defend their rights and those of others. They receive little recognition for their role - often faceless, and denied credibility and legitimacy in their work. Women human rights defenders (WHRDs), such as those from Burma, are commonly denied legal status, leaving them vulnerable in a cycle of uncertainty and violence.

Hina Jilani, the United Nations (UN) Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders (Special Representative), has noted in her 2005 report to the Commission on Human Rights (Commission)¹, the significant increase in suppression of dissent and protest, as well as serious acts of violence against human rights defenders worldwide. 692 of 895 individuals targeted were activists from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) plagued because of their activities, even in peaceful public rallies². Of great concern, as Ms Jilani confirms, State use of the legal system to criminalize the human rights work of NGOs and violate fundamental rights with impunity³ must be redressed immediately.

Women defenders confront gross and frequent human rights violations on multiple grounds:

1. Shared risks confronted by all human rights defenders;
2. Gender-Specific risks and vulnerabilities on account of their status as women, or that impact disproportionately on them because they are women; and
3. Risks that arise from working on women specific rights or issues, such as reproductive and sexual rights.

In July 2004, Nepal’s Supreme Court issued a writ demanding that the Ministry of Affairs show cause why "open homosexual activities" should not be banned. The writ came in response to a private petition, requesting a ban on the activities of Blue Diamond Society, an NGO working on sexual health and human rights issues, on the grounds that Nepal prohibits, by law, homosexual conduct. This illustrates how the legal system is being used to restrict the exercise of rights by others, specifically lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups.

In Harare, Zimbabwe, on 31 March 2005, women organised a prayer vigil for peace during their national elections. Over 1000 women arrived or were enroute when riot police descended - arresting, beating, trampling and detaining women of ages from 17 to 80 years. 30 women required medical treatment and 9, hospitalisation. Denied use of the toilet and access to food and legal advisers, the women were released the next day with a $25,000 fine. Clearly, WHRDs advocating not only for women’s rights but for human rights issues such as peace, are subjected to State violence.

In the Philippines on November 16 2004, 16 activist women were arrested, including one pregnant woman, hog-tied and many sexually assaulted, during the violent dispersal of a labour strike in Hacienda Luisita, a 6,000 hectare farming compound owned by relatives of former President Acquino. The activists have now gone on hunger strike.

While State authorities and State sponsored groups remain the principal perpetrators of abuse, non-State actors are also committing violations. As the Special Representative highlights, WHRDs are exposed to and targeted for physical, moral and sexual violence by all parties, during and in the aftermath of conflict.⁴ In addition, the prevalent political use of religion and culture by both States and a broad range of fundamentalist and other groups has resulted in the oppression of women’s sexuality and agency. The international community should no longer tolerate the misuse of culture and religion as means to derogate from fundamental human rights.

The Campaign
Alarmed by the plight of WHRDs and sharing concerns of the Special Representative, a coalition of NGOs has launched a Campaign on Women Human Rights Defenders. The Campaign gives international visibility to WHRD concerns; works on measures to ensure accountability for acts of violence against women; and calls attention to the situation of LGTBs.

The campaign will organise an international consultation in November 2005. We invite all to participate in the Campaign.

In light of these issues Mr Chairperson:

• We call on States to repeal all laws and other measures that violate human rights and pose risks to human rights defenders and to address gender-based violations against WHRDs.
• We demand for States to fully implement effective legislation and policies to guarantee the rights enshrined in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, and particularly to ensure that domestic law is consistent with these international obligations.
• We urge regional initiatives and national human rights institutions to include the protection of WHRDs in their mandate.
• We implore the UN and human rights groups to develop new mechanisms for more effective accountability of non-State actors for violations against women and WHRDs.

Finally, we urge the UN to continue to support the mandate of the Special Representative and ensure that a focus on women human rights defenders remains a core aspect of her work.

1. E/CN.4/2005/101, 13 December 2004 (Report).
2. Paras 16, 32 Report.
3. Paras 35-42 Report.
4. Paras 64 - 68, 132 - 133 Report.

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