When a crisis hits, it’s women and girls that are most affected. They experience increased gender-based violence and a loss of income can put them more at risk of early, child, or forced marriage. But instead of waiting for conflicts to end, for someone else to step in, or for laws to pass to help them, women are stepping up and being the first responders, changemakers, and activists that their families, local communities and women across the world need.
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are all women and girls working on any human rights issue (“women defenders” and “girl defenders”), and people of all genders who work to promote women’s rights and rights related to gender equality. It also includes any civil society actors who may not self-identify as human rights defenders or those who work on non-traditional human rights fields (journalists, health workers, environmental activists, peacebuilders, private actors, development and humanitarian actors, etc.). It includes lesbian, gay, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) activists, as issues related to orientation and gender identity are part of achieving gender equality.
