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violence against women

 India: Arbitrary arrest of twelve women human rights defendersposted on: 2013/06/19

On 13 June 2013, at approximately 7:30am, twelve women human rights defenders were assembled peacefully outside the residence of the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms  Mamata Bannerjee, when they were arrested on charges of intention to commit an offence. They were released the same day at 4:30pm upon payment of a bond, but were denied access to their lawyers.

Turkey: Update – Charges against VAKAD and other civil society organisations in Van dropped posted on: 2013/05/23

On 17 May 2013, charges were dropped in the case against the human rights organisation Van Women's Association (VAKAD) and nine other civil society organisations. Court proceedings for the closure of the ten groups were brought by the prosecutor on charges of links with the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK). The hearing of 17 May 2013 was the second in the trial.

DRC: Urgent Appeal issued by 82 Congolese Human Rights Organisations to Mary Robinsonposted on: 2013/05/23

“Every night, Congolese who live under the M23's control worry whether armed men will visit them and kidnap,rape or kill members of their family. Life has turned into a 24-hour contract, renewable each morning”

2007 Gégé Katana winner of 2007 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Riskposted on: 2011/03/04

Gégé Katana is a leading human rights defender working in Uvira, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Gégé Katana is the president of Solidarite des Femmmes Activistes pour la Defense des Droits Humains, SOFAD (Solidarity Movement of Women Human Rights Activists) an organisation that works through a grassroots network of 625 women to research and campaign against sexual violence, and provide counselling and help to rape survivors. SOFAD also educates local communities on women and children’s rights, and lobbies the government to deliver justice and reform discriminatory laws.

Gégé Katana has worked with several non-governmental organisations including; IDEA/Afrique - Institut pour le developpement et l’education des adultes. She is a network member of the Global Fund for Women and Coordinator for the Synergie des Femmes Defenseurs des Droits de le l'Homme du Sud-Kivu en RDC.

Attempted assassination of prominent Mexican human rights defenderposted on: 2007/05/18

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro a leading Mexican defender of children’s and women’s human rights narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by means of sabotage of an official vehicle she was traveling in from the city of Juarez in Mexico City on 7 May 2007.

Gégé Katana winner of 2007 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Riskposted on: 2007/05/17

Gégé Katana is a leading human rights defender working in Uvira, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She is the president of Solidarite des Femmmes Activistes pour la Defense des Droits Humains, SOFAD (Solidarity Movement of Women Human Rights Activists) an organisation that works through a grassroots network of 625 women to research and campaign against sexual violence, and provide counselling and help to rape survivors. SOFAD also educates local communities on women and children’s rights, and lobbies the government to deliver justice and reform discriminatory laws.

Gégé Katana has worked with several non-governmental organisations including; IDEA/Afrique - Institut pour le developpement et l’education des adultes. She is a network member of the Global Fund for Women and Coordinator for the Synergie des Femmes Defenseurs des Droits de le l'Homme du Sud-Kivu en RDC (SYFEDH).

Front Line mission to DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenyaposted on: 2007/05/14

A Front Line mission visited Rwanda, Burundi, the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya between 8 and 16 of April 2007. Front Line Director Mary Lawlor and Protection Coordinator Natacha O’Brien met with human rights defenders at risk and national authorities to discuss the protection and security of human rights defenders in the region

Sudanese human right defender visits the Irish Department of Foreign Affairsposted on: 2006/02/26

1 February 2006

The Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Human Rights, Mr Conor Lenihan T.D., met with Ms Maha Alsherief of Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO) on 1 February, to discuss the plight of women in refugee camps in Darfur, Sudan.

Ms Alsherief works as a protection officer for SUDO in the refugee camps in Darfur. She works specifically with victims of rape, sexual assault and abduction.

According to the UN, some 3.4 million people continue to be affected by the conflict in Darfur, of whom 1.8 million are internally displaced and approximately 300,000 have fled to neighbouring Chad. This level of internal displacement has exacerbated rates of gender based violence, including rape, sexual assault and abduction.

Speaking after the meeting, the Minister said: "All too frequently we see the brutal rape of women and children used as a weapon of war. Sexual violence is now an integral and devastating part of the ongoing conflict in Darfur."

He added that meeting Ms Alsherief gave his department "invaluable information that can only enhance our understanding of the scale and harrowing affects of this type of violence."

Mexican human rights defender could face four years in prisonposted on: 2006/01/24

An award winning Mexican journalist, and president of the woman’s refuge, Centro Integral de Atencion a las Mujeres (CIAM), was arrested on 16 December 2006 in Cancun, transported over 1000 miles to the city of Puebla and charged with defamation and slander.

Mexican police detained Lydia Cacho Ribeiro (42) for 30 hours in San Miguel state prison before releasing her on $10,000 bail. Ms Ribeiro must appear before a judge in Peubla every week until her trial begins. If she is found guilty she could face up to four years in prison.

According to local newspaper, the defamation charges are based on a complaint filed by the Puebla-based manufacturing baron Jose Camel Nacif Borge.

Earlier this year, in her book “The Demons of Eden”, Ms Cacho alleged that Mr Borge had ties with the accused paedophile Jean Succar Kuri.

Lebanese born Kuri was arrested by US marshals in February 2004 in Arizona and stands accused of rape, corruption of minors and organising sex parties involving minors.

Ms Cacho has indicated that the information in her book is based on existing documents and that she has sufficient proof for her defence.

Meeting to discuss situation of human rights defenders in Colombia with Vice President Francisco Santos, March 2004posted on: 2004/06/28

Meeting to discuss situation of human rights defenders in Colombia with Vice President Francisco Santos

The Director of Front Line, Mary Lawlor, met with Vice President Francisco Santos, Tuesday 23rd March 2004, to raise the ongoing grave situation for human rights defenders in Colombia, including widespread death threats, assassination attempts, intimidation, harassment, “disappearances”, lawsuits, arbitrary detentions, torture and murder, as well as the gender specific risks faced by women human rights defenders in Colombian society. Vice President Santos has responsibility for human rights in the Colombian government.