Module 6: Who is a Human Rights Defender?

When planning and facilitating this session, it is important to consistently apply an intersectional lens to each participant's identity and experiences, and their protection needs. Overlapping systems of discrimination and privilege, such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, racial and/or ethnic origin, economic status/class, marital status, citizenship, age and physical appearance, can have a profound impact on human rights defenders' and their communities' perception of and experience with risks and protection.

Introduction:

• You may have heard the term ‘Human Right Defender’ but are unclear what it means
• Some HRDs do not understand that the work that they do is to defend human rights – this is particularly true for women HRDs in rural areas, and those working for economic, social and cultural rights
• Clearly identifying as an HRD can bring protection and support
• In a few cases, an HRD may not wish to be called an HRD (eg a journalist who is also an HRD may only wish to be known as a journalist), however it is very useful to understand the benefits of being known as an HRD

Tip:

Some of the discussions may become contentious if participants discuss whether people they know are or are not HRDs. Bring the discussion back to the principles, rather than the specifics.

“To be a human rights defender, a person can act to address any human right (or rights) on behalf of individuals or groups. Human rights defenders seek the promotion and protection of civil and political rights as well as the promotion, protection and realization of economic, social and cultural rights. Human rights defenders address any human rights concerns, which can be as varied as, for example, summary executions, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, female genital mutilation, discrimination, employment issues, forced evictions, access to health care, and toxic waste and its impact on the environment. Defenders are active in support of human rights as diverse as the rights to life, to food and water, to the highest attainable standard of health, to adequate housing, to a name and a nationality, to education, to freedom of movement and to non-discrimination. They sometimes address the rights of categories of persons, for example women’s rights, children’s rights, the rights of indigenous persons, the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the rights of national, linguistic or sexual minorities”.

Source: Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/SRHRDefenders/Pages/Defender.aspx)

Quiz:

Divide the participants into groups of approximately 4 people each (trying to keep diversity in experience of being an HRD, gender identity and sexual orientation, location etc) and give them the quiz sheet. If the participants are unlikely to know most of the answers, you could give them the handout so they can find them out for themselves (then you will need to allow more time) otherwise give out the handout at the end).

Give the participants approximately 20 minutes for the quiz.