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Defend her! Women Human Rights Defenders’ Recommendations for Diplomatic Missions

Datum: 27-10-2021
Tijd: 9.00 – 10.30 EDT/ 15.00 – 16.30hrs CEST
Locatie: online

Women human rights defenders (WHRDs), peacebuilders, advocates for gender equality and other civil society leaders play a critical role in advancing peace, human rights and gender justice. Yet they are under attack for doing so.

In this session WHRDs will present their key recommendations for diplomatic missions to better protect their critical work in a gender responsive and transformative manner. They will highlight the specific protection needs that WHRDs have on 3 key areas:
  1. How can diplomatic missions support individual WHRDs’ physical, mental, and economic safety?
  2. How can diplomatic missions strengthen women’s rights organizations’ operational space and their resilience?
  3. How can diplomatic missions enhance the understanding of, familiarization with, and support for a diversity of women’s voices within the mission?
 
Aim of the event and audience:
Mission leads, staff and policy makers will gain insight in the gap between policy, protocols and practice. From WHRDs first hand, they will receive concrete ideas on how to bridge that gap and how to continue meaningful engagement with WHRDs. 

Program 
09.00 – 09.05hrs EDT: Welcome by Yoka Brandt, the Permanent Representative of the kingdom of
                                         the Netherlands to the United Nations in New York 

09.05 – 09.15hrs EDT: Introduction of the context: Why do WHRDs need specific protection
                                         measures?  Sandra Tumwesigye, Communication & Advocacy
                                         coordinator Women International Peace Center

09.15 – 10.00hrs EDT: Panel conversation on key recommendation for gender responsive and
                                         transformative protection (introduced via prerecorded 1-minute
                                         elevator pitches of (Y)WHRDs), in 3 key areas:

                                          1. How can diplomatic missions support individual WHRDs’ physical,
                                              mental, and economic safety?
                                          2. How can diplomatic missions strengthen women’s rights
                                              organizations’ operational space and their resilience?
                                          3. How can diplomatic missions enhance the understanding of,
                                              familiarization with, and support for a diversity of women’s
                                              voices within the mission? 
                                       
                                          Panelists: 
                                          Richard Arbeiter, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative
                                          of Canada to the United Nations in New York 
                                          Caecilia Wijgers, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Afghanistan 
                                          Caroline Rucah, Executive Director Lets Be Tested Queens (Western
                                          Kenya  LGBTQI+ Feminist Forum)
                                          Sandra Tumwesigye, Communication & Advocacy coordinator Women
                                          International Peace Center

10.00 - 10.20hrs EDT: Q&A’s with the panelists

10.20 - 10.30hrs EDT: Closing remarks by Birgitta Tazelaar, Deputy Director General
                                       International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands

Moderated by Louise Allen, Global Gender, Peace and Security consultant 


Register here
 
For more information on this session, please read here
 
 
 (Illustration by feminist artist Maitree Muzumdar)
 

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