Confronting Violence against Women Defenders
JASS Mesoamerica is collaborating with five national, regional and international organizations to spotlight and address the growing risks and violence faced by women on the frontline of human rights work in the region. Launched in October 2009, the Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative aims to:
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Strengthen the skills and confidence of women human rights defenders (WHRD) through human rights training (e.g. how to document a violation and how to prepare and submit a precautionary measure as well as assessing and navigating risk) and by creating safe spaces and networks to deal with trauma and burnout created by their work.
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Expand and improve research and reporting to inform influential human rights institutions, governments and the media about the unique nature of risks and violence against WHRD and increase pressure to respond to specific cases;
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Improve mechanisms for immediate and coordinated response to violations by building agile local to global networks and alliances;
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Raise public awareness about women human rights defenders and their vital contributions to justice, and end widespread tolerance of violence against women and defenders.
     
AWID, La Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos (Guatemala), Consorcio para el Dialogo Parlamentario y la Equidad (Mexico), Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres, La Colectiva Feminista (El Salvador) and JASS Mesoamerica.
Excerpt from Mesoamerican Baseline Report on WHRD (2010):
 "Despite progress in acknowledging and identifying violence perpetrated against human rights defendersinMesoamerica, there is still relatively little gender-specific information available about the situation of women human rights defenders (WHRDs). In addition, violence against WHRDs is overlooked by human rights andsocial justice organizations andby movements themselves. As a result, there has been a lack of detailed, up-to-date information and analysis of thegendered violence faced by WHRDs in the region.
In an effort to address this deficit, a number of WHRDs convened a regional meeting in Oaxaca, Mexico in April 2010. This group of women, characterized by its impressive diversity—of national origins, ages, ethnic groups, skin colors, sexual orientations and identities—brought their life stories to Oaxaca, stamped on our bodies."
The Initiative released a 2011 update to the Regional Assessment Report on Violence against WHRD in Mesoamerica.
CONTEXT & ISSUES
Mesoamerica has become one of the most violent regions in the world with alarming incidences of violence against women caused by the increased presence of organized crime and militarization. In the past 2 years in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala human rights violations have multiplied particularly gender-based violence, femicide, and threats to democratic institutions and citizen participation. The women who lead grassroots campaigns to defend their rights, improve standards of living, and protect their families and resources encounter threats to their lives, their physical integrity, their loved ones, and their freedom Women in the center of active conflicts, indigenous and poor women, young women, and LGBTQ individuals are especially at risk. At the same time, these are the very same people on the front lines defending rights and working to create sustainable and equitable solutions to the multiple crises the region faces.
The conflicts in these three countries are rooted in a long history of authoritarian and military rule, armed conflict and repression. Despite peace agreements and transitions to civilian governments and multi-party systems, the scars of internal wars and state repression have left fragile, corrupt institutions and justice systems that leave most crimes against rights defenders unpunished.
International policy – particularly with the United States -- has tended to exacerbate conflict by fast-forwarding economic policies that reduce rights and increased vulnerability, by tolerating dictators and violence, and by responding to the crisis with more military and police aid to corrupt enforcement institutions. In this context, where governments lack the capacity or will to protect and defend women and women activists, women are creating alternative ways of making their voices heard and protecting themselves from risk.
ACTIVITIES
1. Documenting, researching and disseminating information about the violence and risks women are facing to key human rights institutions, governments and others with the potential to affect change.
In 2010 and 2011, following an in-depth participatory “diagnosis” with numerous defenders, meetings have been held with defenders in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala to present, share and refine the Regional Baseline Report on WHRD in Mesoamerica. This groundbreaking report has been shared with, among others, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation on human rights defenders, members of the Organization of American States and numerous Mesoamerican defensoras.
2. Building and consolidating safety networks
Regional and national meetings also serve to establish and consolidate national networks among defensoras from diverse social movements to intervene in specific cases and provide an alternative line of protection. At the same time, the partners are consolidating regional and international alliances to activate urgent response and solidarity.
3. Improving urgent action mechanisms to intervene and mobilize solidarity in specific cases
Access to and developing improved mechanisms for urgent action responses through national and regional WHRD networks and international allies
Mobilization of resources and international support to denounce violence against defensoras
4. Engaging international and regional human rights actors to pressure governments and bring attention to claims
Most recently, 5 defensoras from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, including the JASS Mesoamerican Regional Coordinator, presented the newly updated findings on the situation of WHRD in Mesoamerica to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation on Human Rights Defenders.
In 2010 the Mexican Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights co-convened the release and dissemination of the Regional Baseline report in Mexico alongside JASS Mesoamerica.
IN THE NEWS
Women Human Rights Defenders Denounce the Rise in Violence against Journalists & WHRD in Mexico
14 Sept. 2011 - over 70 Mexican, regional and international organizations released a declaration denouncing the increasing violence against women defenders and journalists in Mexico.
Women Human Rights Defenders Risk Death, Discrimination - CIP
3 Aug. 2011 -This year has seen a marked rise in violence against women and harassment of women human rights defenders.
New Mechanisms to Respond to Violence against Human Right Defenders - AWID
15 May 2011 - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has established an Office of the Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders to address the increasing violence against those who defend human rights in the region.
The Silencing of Women's Voices - Frontera NorteSur
7 Mar. 2011 - On Tuesday, March 8, International Women's Day 2011, the voices of many prominent human rights defenders will be absent from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
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