Celebrating International Women’s Day at PBI UK
Beacons of Change: Spotlighting three powerful case studies of women human rights defenders
By Teringa Lodge
International Women’s Day enters its 114th year of celebration this year! Today, we can think of no better way to celebrate than to spotlight some of the amazing women human rights defenders PBI has had the privilege of collaborating with over the past few years. Women human rights defenders are those women who, like their male counterparts, advocate and lobby for human rights within their community. However, as well as being targeted for their activism, unlike their male counterparts, they also face gender-specific rights violations.
And so, on this International Women's Day, we want to celebrate the invaluable work of women human rights defenders worldwide fighting injustice against all odds. At Peace Brigades International, we stand alongside these women, supporting them to continue their vital work even amidst repression and violence.
The dangers women human rights defenders face
What we have seen time and time again is that in periods of conflict, sexual and gender-based violence increases and it is not the state, but routinely women human rights defenders who come to the fore to fight for the safety of and justice for victims. The sole act of solidarity in periods of unrest is considered dangerous but for women, when combined with existing oppressive social structures, speaking up can be a death sentence.
We see the statistics in Colombia, the “deadliest country in the world” for human rights defenders according to Global Witness, with “60 deaths in total last year [2022] - more than a third of all [land and environmental defenders] killings globally”. In the first half of 2023, women activists amounted to one-quarter of human rights defenders who were attacked, while in the second half of 2023, the number of those murdered rose by 50% in comparison to the same period of 2022.
We see the statistics in Kenya, that between 2016 and 2024 more than 500 women have been victims of femicide - 14 of these murders occurred in January of this year alone. This spike has prompted a surge in demonstrations across the country and calls for systematic change, improved policies, and laws to reduce gender-based violence.
We see the statistics against environmental activists, where Indigenous communities face alarmingly high rates of persecution. In 2022, of the 177 deaths of land and environmental defenders, 36% were Indigenous people. These numbers are relative estimations and in fact, the statistics do not account for the many cases that go unreported, or disappear and are unable to be counted. The statistics are startling, and a reminder of how far is still yet to go, but it’s important to spotlight the efforts that are being made despite these realities.
Claudia Julieta Duque with a PBI volunteer
Claudia Julieta Duque: The Colombian Journalist Uncovering Corruption
Claudia Julieta Duque has been battling threats and violence for nearly three decades as one of Colombia’s most prominent investigative journalists. Over her 30-year career, she has exposed enforced disappearances, government corruption, human rights abuses linked to the state, and even the murder of fellow journalist, Jaime Garzón. Claudia’s reporting has come at a steep personal price - death threats, kidnapping, abuse, harassment, and exile.
As a woman in a male-dominated field, Claudia faces gender-specific risks that her colleagues do not. The threats against her and her young daughter are often sexualised. Statistics show that crimes of a sexual nature are less likely to be reported and convicted, due to gender norms and social standards. This makes sexualised threats a strategic tactic for criminals both online and physically, reinforcing the use of them by their perpetrators.
In spite, or perhaps even in light of these gender targeted remarks, Claudia was one of the first in Colombia to speak out about sexual harassment in journalism, despite fears of professional retaliation. "As a woman and a journalist, I'm very aware of the need to promote rights from a gender perspective," she states. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, she became a member of the Colombian Network of Journalists from a Gender Perspective, a solidarity group of over 20 female reporters covering sensitive stories. They rely on each other for support while amplifying their voices on gender issues and using their platforms to highlight human rights abuses.
After decades of threats and trauma, Claudia Julieta Duque remains defiant, using her position as a weapon against injustice in one of the world's most dangerous nations for journalists. Her courage is an inspiration to all who dare to speak truth to power.
In February this year, PBI attended a judicial hearing with Claudia, with the hope that after years of filing complaints, those responsible for the acts of torture, threats, and other attacks against her and her family will be brought to justice.
Photo by: Patricia Macías. Lorena Cabnal and Alex Vásquez, members of the TZK’AT Network
The TZK'AT Network of Ancestral Healers of Territorial Community Feminism
In the hills of Guatemala, a powerful network of Indigenous women have risen up to defend women’s rights, their natural resources, and their territory. The TZK'AT Network of Ancestral Healers of Territorial Community Feminism from Ixmulew was formed in October 2015 by 10 courageous women human rights defenders. PBI has provided protective accompaniment to the Network since 2018.
The use of sexual violence against women as a strategic tool in warfare has a long history in Guatemala. During the 36-year Internal Armed Conflict, it was Indigenous women who bore the brunt of this brutal tactic. Although the context might have changed, history continues to repeat itself in the “neoliberalized context of the imposition of extractive industries in Mayan territories”. There have been at least 11 claims that company workers or private security guards carried out sexual aggressions against Mayan women who resisted their industry developments in a crime the TZK’AT Network is calling “territorial sexual violence”.
The TZK’AT Network provides holistic care to victims across Mayan territories through physical, spiritual, emotional, and political support. With a deep understanding and call to ancestral wisdom, "We have come together recognizing the beautiful possibilities that our grandmothers left us for carrying on and lifting our spirits, summoning joy and healing," they say. "We say in q'eqchi': lain ut laat, laat ut lain. You are me and I am you."
Over the years, the TZK’AT Network has given rise to the philosophy of “Community and Territory Feminism” offering a powerful stance for women and communities globally, with tools to analyse oppression and a path towards healing.
Jecinter Agunja at a protest in Kenya against rising femicide rates, which was observed by PBI
Jecinter Agunja: Challenging Gender Norms in Kenya
In the challenging landscape of Nairobi’s Mathare informal settlement, Jecinter Agunja from the Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders Kenya stands out as a beacon of purposeful dedication to her community, leaving a lasting impact. Jecinter began her journey into human rights advocacy over a decade ago due to her own experience of domestic violence in her marriage. As we have seen the rates of gender based violence increase in Kenya in this year alone, her work is, more than ever, truly important to facilitating change.
Through her collaboration with PBI, Jecinter gained invaluable knowledge and essential skills in areas such as referral pathways, psychosocial support, and advocacy strategies. In 2016, PBI developed a Women Human Rights Defenders Toolkit which offers resources as well as recommendations to help address the specific challenges of grassroots women defenders. The training emphasizes the importance of following due process, leading to significant results with sexual assault perpetrators receiving substantial prison sentences. Jecinter is one of many of the Toolkit’s organisers, working to disseminate and develop the Toolkit further. She emphasises, “The PBI Toolkit training enables one to think in another angle,” highlighting the strategic and informed approach necessary for effective human rights advocacy.
Jecinter expresses, “What motivated me is the fact that you can change one person.” This simple statement highlights the power of just one person’s actions, creating ripple effects that go beyond the Mathare settlement and move us globally.
Supporting women defenders for change
This International Women’s Day we celebrate the vital efforts made by women human rights defenders. Although separated geographically, Claudia, the TZK'AT Network, and Jecinter all strive to champion women’s rights for the goal of justice, paving the way for human rights work. At PBI, we continue to follow these women on their journey and support them through our various methods of work. Whether it is on the ground attending meetings with them and offering international observation at protests, working in our offices to lobby for them in our home countries, or helping to facilitate workshops and provide essential toolkits: we are dedicated to standing by their side.
Looking beyond International Women’s Day, we remain steadfast in our solidarity, acknowledging the profound impact these women, and others globally, continue to make every day whilst recognising the collective responsibility we bear in nurturing a world where human rights are realised and upheld every day.
How you can help:
Donate to help us support more women human rights defenders and galvanise international support for the issues they face here!
Write to your MP to urge the UK Government to do more to protect and support women’s rights and women human rights defenders here!
Spread the word about how the UK Government can better support human rights defenders globally by checking out our policy hub here!
