Women and minority rights activists around the world are working to create positive change in their communities. Women human rights defenders face many of the same challenges as their male counterparts. However, many face additional obstacles and threats because they challenge the status quo twice over – through their work and by challenging (by their very existence) accepted norms, traditions, perceptions and stereotypes about femininity, sexual orientation and the role and status of women in society. As a result, they are vulnerable to threats, stigma, rejection by family and community, and violence.
UPDATE: On January 22, a court conviced three retired members of the military in connection with Operation Dragon. Learn more in our more recent article here.
In his 25 years as a human rights lawyer, Jorge Molano has represented victims in many emblematic cases such as the Palace of Justice where Coronel Luis Alfonso Plazas Vega was convicted after appeal for the crime of aggravated forced disappearance
Article by PBI-International
Only those who are healthy can work with all their strength for human rights. If political and social violence is part of everyday life, the commitment to peace is risky and emotionally stressful. Women also often have to fight against traditional role models. Learn in an interview with Tanja Vultier why psychosocial and gender-sensitive support is so important for human rights defenders.