Women’s human rights defenders in Mesoamerica are increasingly in danger and need networks and resources to stay safe. 

Why we care: Women’s Human Rights Defenders in Mexico and Central America are being murdered, threatened, and attacked for fighting against injustice.

How we’re solving this: Creating networks for support, refuge, emergency resources, public denouncements, and calls to action so society and governments support women’s rights.

Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) fight against violence and injustice everyday. Their work benefits everyone and their perseverance motivates other women to free themselves and build an egalitarian world. Unfortunately, violence against WHRDs in Mesoamerica is on the rise. WHRDs are being murdered, defamed, threatened, and devalued; and government protection does not guarantee their safety. In 2012 alone, The Mesoamerican Women’s Human Rights Defenders Initiative (IM-D) registered 339 attacks against WHRDs.

IM-D coordinates protection networks in five countries that support more than 200 WHRDs across different organizations and social movements. They provide safe refuge spaces, create plans for security and protection, and give resources for medical attention, emotional support, legal accompaniment, and public denouncements. They also offer counsel and training to organizations to promote self-care and wellbeing of WHRDs to reduce exhaustion, stress, and other health problems that may result from challenging violence and injustice on a daily basis.

IM-D plans to increase their existing Rapid Response Fund and Self-Care Fund to support an additional 60 organizations and 30 WHRDs. These funds will help connect WHRD to safe houses; in addition to providing psychological counseling, legal advice, and transportation for WHRDs and their families. IM-D will also conduct assessments to better understand the risks WHRDs face. IM-D will provide WHRDs with increased security by providing them with cameras and phones to document any violations against their rights. Finally, the organization will lead an international media campaign to denounce attacks against WHRDs. By mobilizing a global community to stand in solidarity with the defenders, women will strengthen their voices in gaining justice and ending the violence.