Pushing forward against the pushback: Empowering Women Human Rights Defenders

The year 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 25th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights Defenders Defenders, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) initiated a series of dialogues with women human rights defenders to provide a safe space for discussions on the challenges they are increasingly facing in conducting their work and to identify areas of support.

The first dialogue took place in December 2023, in Banja Luka, with the support of the Embassy of Austria in BiH in the context of the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. This event brought together 22 women human rights defenders, as well as representatives of the Human Rights Ombudsman Institution of BiH, the Agency for Gender Equality of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, and the Gender Centre of the Republika Srpska entity. 

In a powerful exchange, women human rights defenders described the serious challenges they encounter, including frequent harassment, threats, and attacks, as well as institutional barriers and the lack of responses from relevant authorities regarding these various forms of violence and risks they endure. They also agreed on the importance of thoroughly documenting human rights violations and attacks they faced.

“In partnership with our civil society partners, UN Women and OHCHR initiated a series of dialogues designed to provide a safe and supportive space for discussing the limitations and hardships women human rights defenders face in their vital work. We know that the backlash against gender equality is on the rise – globally, but also here in parts of BiH. Hard-won gender equality gains are at risk and attempts are being made to reverse them. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, we see long-established, universal human rights and women’s rights frameworks being challenged. Together, we are committed to advancing the protection and empowerment of women human rights defenders across the country,” said Jo-Anne Bishop, Representative of UN Women in BiH.

Aleksandra Petrić, programme director at Foundation United Women Banja Luka, states that the needs of women human rights defenders have to be recognized by government institutions at all levels, as well as international human rights organizations, through programs supporting their work and safety. „At a time when women human rights defenders in BiH are exposed to continuous attacks, discrimination, and shrinking space for action, it is crucial that they have safe spaces for dialogue, mutual support, building alliances, and strategies.  Documenting cases of attacks and discrimination, ensuring unobstructed access to effective protection mechanisms and support in cases of security threats, and institutional processing of such cases are priorities when it comes to creating a supportive environment for their work.”

The second dialogue took place in July 2024 in Sarajevo, gathering more than 30 representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) from all over BiH, with many women human rights defenders sharing their experiences. Representatives of women's rights CSOs Foundation United Women Banja Luka, Foundation of Local Democracy from Sarajevo, Foundation Lara from Bijeljina, Kvinna till Kvinna, participated in the dialogue. A reflection on the anti-gender movements in Croatia, and the impact it has on the work of women human rights defenders, was provided by the Centre for Women War Victims Rosa. The participation of H.E. Henk van den Dool, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Elisabet Tomasinec, from the Office of the European Union Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, underscored the importance of the international community's role in protecting the human rights of women activists. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, attended the whole dialogue online, highlighting the global trends of a backlash against women human rights defenders and providing substantive perspectives and concrete recommendations. 

Following both dialogues, lead women human rights defenders developed policy briefs, which were shared with the international community and organizations, with recommendations to ensure that women human rights defenders can work effectively and safely in the country. As part of his end-of-mission statement on 24 April 2024, the then United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Voule, reflected similar recommendations.

Both in BiH and around the world, the Netherlands supports and partners with human rights defenders organizations, said H.E. Ambassador Henk van den Dool. “By having such allies we hope we are contributing to institutionalized and long-lasting policy solutions. Times are challenging and now more than ever we need a joint response, joint action to address the rise of the violence against women, not only in BiH, but globally. The Dutch government’s Feminist Foreign Policy is one of the tools through which the Netherlands works worldwide to reduce inequality and ensure equal status for women, men, and LGBTIQ+ people.“ 

Dinia Krujeziu, project coordinator at the Foundation of Local Democracy, agrees that maintaining dialogue with women human rights defenders is crucial for continuously strengthening their protection and support in BiH. „This dialogue is an important continuation of joint activities stemming from the Protocol for the Protection of Women Human Rights Defenders, signed in 2018 between the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH and the Foundation for Local Democracy on behalf of civil society organizations of women human rights defenders. Particularly important is the appointment of the Advisory Board for the Protection of Women Human Rights Defenders in 2022, which consists of representatives from various state-level institutions in BiH, non-governmental organizations, and the media. The Protocol and work of the Advisory Board, along with the ongoing dialogue, further strengthen these efforts, ensuring that the voices of defenders are heard and respected.“

International human rights mechanisms play an important role at the global, regional, and local levels to advance the promotion and protection of human rights, including women’s rights, and to support the work of human rights defenders. “The collective recommendations of international human rights mechanisms (UN Treaty Bodies, Special Rapporteurs and Universal Period Review) addressed to BiH constitute a precious tool for the government, institutions, and civil society actors, including women rights defenders, and other actors as they provide a comprehensive and authoritative roadmap for concrete actions to improve the situation of human rights, grounded in the state’s international human rights obligations. OHCHR in BiH, together with UN Women, can support coalitions for joint action to address challenges faced by women human rights defenders and other civil society actors,” says Agnes Picod, Senior Human Rights Adviser at OHCHR. 

UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains committed to supporting women human rights defenders and addressing the challenges they face. The upcoming third dialogue, scheduled for November 2024, will continue to highlight the critical importance of protecting them and advancing their missions, ensuring that their voices and concerns remain at the forefront of the agenda.