Women Human Rights Defenders
A litany of deaths : How long will the barbaric mutilations and killings in Ciudad Juarez Mexico go on? When will the Mexican government act to stop these heinous crimes?
It is pure horror that these killings continue year in year out with complete impunity. Whole families are being wiped out one or two at a time. And all are terrified and women human rights defenders are most at risk.
On 25 February 2011, the bodies of Elías Reyes, Malena Reyes, and Luisa Ornelas were discovered at a petrol station, east of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. On 7 February 2011, they had been abducted by armed men. Elías and Malena Reyes are the brother and sister of Josefina Reyes, a human rights defender who was killed in January 2010.
A litany of deaths : How long will the barbaric mutilations and killings in Ciudad Juarez Mexico go on? When will the Mexican government act to stop these heinous crimes?
It is pure horror that these killings continue year in year out with complete impunity. Whole families are being wiped out one or two at a time. And all are terrified and women human rights defenders are most at risk.
On 25 February 2011, the bodies of Elías Reyes, Malena Reyes, and Luisa Ornelas were discovered at a petrol station, east of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. On 7 February 2011, they had been abducted by armed men. Elías and Malena Reyes are the brother and sister of Josefina Reyes, a human rights defender who was killed in January 2010.
Front Line, Amnesty International and members of the Iranian community in Dublin are joining forces on Monday 29th November to protest on behalf of imprisoned women human rights defenders in Iran. - JOIN US!
Further Information
JOIN US - Protest Monday on behalf of Iranian human rights defenders
What: Demonstration in support of Iranian human rights defenders to mark International Women Human Rights Defenders' Day
Who: Amnesty International Ireland, Front Line and members of the Iranian community in Ireland
Where: Daniel O’Connell monument, O’Connell Street, Dublin
When: 1pm to 2pm Monday 29 September
This Monday marks International Day for Women Human Rights Defenders. It should be a day to celebrate the achievements of human rights defenders around the world.
Magodonga Mahlangu and her organisation, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), received the 2009 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. WOZA is a grassroots movement of over 75,000 Zimbabweans working throughout their country to empower women from all walks of life to mobilise and take non-violent action against injustice.
Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of a physical assault on, and death threats against, human rights defender, Ms Juana Bacá Velasco between 30 March 2009 and 6 July 2009. Juana Bacá Velasco is the coordinator of La Red de Mujeres Ixhiles (Association of Ixhil Women), an organisation based in Nebaj which supports female victims of violence and works to empower women in the region.
On 24 June, in the EU Office of Front Line, Front Line and Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK) presented “Insiste Persiste Resiste Existe”, a compilation of security strategies addressing the specific needs of women human rights defenders (WHRDs), to 20 representatives of EU Institutions and Member States, and Brussels-based NGOs. The report is a joint project between Front Line, KtK (Sweden) and the Urgent Action Fund (USA).
To mark International Women's Day 2008 and to Celebrate 30 years of CEDAW, Front Line launches new manual of security strategies for women human rights defenders. The publication is called - Insiste Persiste Resiste Existe and is presented by Front Line, the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights and Kvinna Till Kvinna.
Front Line, along with numerous other civil society organisations, has signed an open letter to the Iranian authorities asking them to end the harassment and prosecution of members of all womens rights activists and defenders in Iran, including members of the One Million Signatures Campaign.
Read the letter to the Iranian authorities
Rita Mahato and Dev Kumari Mahara, staff members of the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) in Siraha district, Nepal received threats of rape and murder on 14 June 2007. These threats are the latest in a series of threats against the two human rights defenders.
Сотрудницам Женского реабилитационного центра в районе Сираха (Непал) 14 июня этого года в очередной раз угрожали изнасилованием и расправой. Это последние угрозы из целой серии угроз, направленных против этих правозащитниц.
С апреля 2007 г. Рита Махато и Дев Кумари Махара получают угрозы о физическом и сексуальном насилии, похищении, пытках и смерти от преступников, вовлеченных в расследование об изнасиловании, которым в настоящий момент занимается Женский реабилитационный центр.
2 июня 2007 г. неизвестные злоумышленники совершили нападение на здание реабилитационного центра, бросая камни в окна и в сотрудников, вышедших на улицу в попытке разобраться с ситуацией. 14 июня около 70 мужчин ворвались в офис Центра и предупредили сотрудников, что в случае если они не покинут деревню в течение пяти дней, то их изнасилуют и убьют. По сведениям, полученных от сотрудников Центра, полиция еще не предприняла никаких действий по обеспечению их безопасности.
Основанный в 1991 г. Женский реабилитационный центр является неправительственной организацией по борьбе за социальную справедливость и права человека, в основном за права женщин и обособленных социальных групп Непала.
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