BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), a leading UN entity on human rights has globally documented at least 34 women human rights defenders killed in conflict-affected countries in 2022.
“But this is likely only a fraction of the real number,’’ said OHCHR Pacific Regional Office Regional Representative, Ms Heike Alefsen.
Heike said that according to data gathered by OHCHR Global in 2023, 320 human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists in 40 countries were killed.
“Many of them while protecting nature and the environment,’’ she said.
She said that women human rights defenders from the Pacific have been demanding tailored support given the specific obstacles and threats they face.
“Such as violence from sorcery-related accusations, discriminatory customary laws and policies, restrictive legislation, gender-based violence, and sexualised online harassment and bullying,’’ said Heike.
She said that women human rights defenders face sorcery and witchcraft accusations while defending human rights.
She said that while sorcery accusations can be levelled at both men and women, most of the victims of violence have been women.
“With authoritarianism and repression increasing around the world, and in the context of the record the rights to freedom of expression, to assembly and association, in particular peaceful protest, are also under attack,’’ she said.
She said that human rights defenders are sometimes attacked or intimated for engaging with the UN on various issues.
“Each year the UN Secretary-General prepares and presents a report to the Human Rights Council titled “Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights”.
“These reports provide an update on the trends and subject of intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN from 2015 to 2024 and you can find these reports on the OHCHR website. I urge you to use these UN mechanisms and have your say in shaping a shaper world for the human rights defenders,’’ she said.
