The Coalition For Women In Journalism

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CFWIJ joins CIVICUS global call to protect women's civic freedoms and demand safety for women journalists

Global Statement - CSW65

Protect Women’s Civic Freedoms to Enhance their Role in Public Life 

16 March 2021

Twenty-five years since the ratification of the Beijing Platform for Action, and a year since women across the world participated in the Women's Global Strike - gender justice is still not a reality for most women. Despite mass mobilisations globally with women at the forefront, and despite numerous campaigns and policy interventions orchestrated by women civil society leaders, activists and lawyers, women across the world struggle to achieve full equality.

The theme of this year’s UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65), running from 15 to 26 March 2021, is Women in Public Life: Equal Participation in Decision-Making. Meaningfully realizing Sustainable Development Goal 5 (on Gender Equality) requires ensuring that civic freedoms for women in civil society are protected, recognized, celebrated and supported by multilateral institutions and governments across the world. This can only be done by recognizing how SDG 16 (on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) is an important conduit to guaranteeing the civic freedoms of women activists around the world who have improved human rights for all despite significant hurdles. To this end, the undersigned are calling for the UN system and governments across the world to ensure that the work of women in civil society is protected, resourced and supported in all spheres.

Rather than sit back, women and girls across the world are mobilising in solidarity to challenge the entrenchment of neoliberalism, inequality, sexism, militarism, racism and patriarchy at local, national and international levels. Around the world, women of all ages are taking to the streets and occupying virtual spaces to stand up for the human rights of all and demand systemic change. Movements such as “Ni Una Menos” in Latin America, the Czarny Protests in Poland, or the protests led by the feminist movement in Lebanon, Algeria and Iraq have challenged patriarchal systems, showing that women are a force to be reckoned with. Organizations, like the League of Professional Women in Ukraine, have led programmes enhancing women’s capacity to step into leadership roles, engage effectively in the labour force and identify the learning needs of women. While those like the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) have actively equipped and supported women activists to engage with macroeconomic policy and address inequalities.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever it is critical to reimagine ways of supporting and protecting women activists as they conduct their work to enhance public life. The mass mobilisations of protesters, featuring women at the forefront, have led to reform of political systems, review on restrictive conditions of loans with international finance institutions, and the protection of sexual and reproductive health rights. Despite these incredible gains, women’s rights organizations continue to be chronically under resourced. Women also face a triple jeopardy: from state-endorsed restrictions and violence arising from their civil society work, to misogynist backlash for parting with patriarchal norms, and for the lack of resources and community-care to deal with psychosocial pressures and harm for doing this work. Women journalists have faced deteriorating conditions while conducting their work - this has included heightened restrictions while covering COVID-19, amidst already amplified physical attacks and online harassment.

Recognizing the interface between gender equality and civic freedoms, UN Special Rapporteur Clement Voule  wrote that, “the voices of women and their contributions to activism and civil society continue  to  be  undervalued,  under-resourced and undermined. While significant progress has been made to ensure women’s  participation in public life, State and non-State actors alike continue to violate women’s rights to the freedoms of peaceful assembly and of association – both online and offline.” 

It is impossible that the sustainable development goals will be effectively met without addressing the multiple ways in which women’s contribution to change is systematically targeted by state and non-state actors alike. Thus, during this year’s Commission on the Status of Women, the undersigned organizations urge governments and multilateral bodies to allocate meaningful resources and implementation to match the policy frameworks that exist to realise gender equality and meaningful support for women in public life. Specifically, we call for:

  1. Governments to create enabling environments in law, policy and practice for women's participation in public life, with particular focus on removing any barriers to freedom of assembly, association, and expression for women and girls;

  2. Governments to establish and fully resource independent national institutions to safeguard promote and protect women's civic participation; 

  3. Ensure that press freedom is prioritised and protected, rolling back any legislation that unduly criminalizes the work of journalists, and ensuring that women who are journalists are able to access justice, protection and safe working conditions while conducting their work.

  4. Governments to ensure full investigations into attacks against women human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists, and to train and direct law enforcement agencies to uphold and respect the rights of women as they participate in public life;

  5. Governments to develop and implement gender-sensitive plans to roll-back COVID-19 regulations that unduly place restrictions on civic space for women in civil society;

  6. Governments to make amendments to existing legislation on assembly, in line with the UN General Comment on Article 21 of the ICCPR, recognizing and protecting the right to assembly online and in-person, with special attention given to the gendered dimensions of the right to assembly;

  7. Governments to implement the recommendations of ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment, 2019 (No. 190) -  recognizing the work of women activists, journalists, protesters and civil society leaders as work that is to be rightfully carried out free from violence and harassment.

  8. Governments to commit to structural, long-term investments, such as developing infrastructure to upscale civil society efforts and empowering women in civil society to develop sustainable alternatives, to enable the resilience, relevance, and sustainability of civil society, especially prioritising women in civil society;

  9. Governments and power holders to address the gender injustices and underlying biases that result in the under-resourcing of women’s rights organisations; 

  10. Government representatives to avoid vilifying and harassing women at all levels and develop mechanisms to hold those who threaten, attack, and assault women as well as those who subject women to smear campaigns accountable for their actions, making public examples of the perpetrators so as to serve as a deterrent to others; and

  11. United Nations to actively encourage the participation of women in its fora, condemning reprisals targeting women, and ensuring the removal of barriers to this participation in line with the calls by UN Secretary General António Guterres and the UN Guidance Note on the Protection and Promotion of Civic Space.

Join the call for protection and support for women in civil society. Add your signature here.

The undersigned,

  1. Abba

  2. Action Communautaire d'Appui au Développement

  3. Action for Humanity & Social Progress

  4. Action pour la Lutte Contre l'Injustice Sociale (ALCIS)

  5. Action Sociale et d'Organisation Paysanne

  6. ActionAid International

  7. Actions for Development and Empowerment (ADE)

  8. Actions pour la Protection des Femmes (APF)

  9. Advocacy for Widows Empowerment Foundation

  10. Africa Rise Foundation 

  11. African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies

  12. African Observatory of Civic Freedoms and Fundamental Rights (OCFFR-AFRICA) 

  13. Afrihealth Optonet Association [CSOs Network]

  14. AJBDEM Durable 

  15. AJSA (Anchalik Jana Seva Anusthan)

  16. Alliance for Development and Population Services (ADEPS)

  17. ALVA - Albanian Values - Vlerat Shqiptare

  18. Amandla Centre of Zimbabwe

  19. Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)

  20. AMWS

  21. Angels in the Field 

  22. Anges KAVIRA

  23. Appui Solidaire Pour Le Renforcement De L Aide Au Developpement 

  24. Arkemetría Social 

  25. Asociación Unión de Talleres 11 de Septiembre 

  26. Asociatia GEYC

  27. Association de sauvegarde de la Médina de Gafsa

  28. Association des jeunes pour le development et la protection des droit de l'homme

  29. Association des Volontaires pour le Développement Communautaire

  30. Association Femmes et Enfants

  31. Association for Promotion Sustainable Development 

  32. Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons 

  33. Association 'Paix' pour la lutte contre la contrainte et l’injustice 

  34. Associazione I Bambini dell'Africa (Association les Enfants d'Afrique)

  35. Audacious Dreams Foundation

  36. Bahrain Centre for Human Rights

  37. Bicosito Bangladesh Foundation

  38. Brain Rest Project

  39. Bridged gap

  40. Building Blocks for Peace Foundation

  41. Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law

  42. Bullyid Indonesia

  43. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

  44. CAPTE - Uruguay

  45. Casa Generalizia della Societa del Sacro Cuore

  46. CDIA - Coordinadora por los Derechos de la Infancia y la Adolescencia de Paraguay 

  47. CEAMUJER

  48. Centre Africain pour la Solidarité et l'Entraide entre les Communautés (CASEC|ACSAC)

  49. Centre de défense des Droits de l'Homme et Démocratie (CDHD)

  50. Centre de Recherche pour la Gestion de la Biodiversité (CRGB) 

  51. Centre de Recherche sur l'Anti-Corruption

  52. Centre for citizens Conserving 

  53. Centro de Investigación y profesionalización en política y economía

  54. Centro Transdisciplnario para el Humanismo Económico, A. C.

  55. CEP International

  56. Chambre Camerounaise des Acteurs en Psychologie  (CCAP)

  57. Children and Youth for Peace Agency-Sierra Leone (CYPA-SL)

  58. Christian Aid

  59. Circles of Hope Community Support Group for PLHIV/AIDS

  60. Citoyen Libre 

  61. CIVICUS Alliance

  62. Coalition WILD 2020/2021 Global Mentorship Participants

  63. Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network

  64. Community Care Foundation-Uganda

  65. Community Support for Development in Kisumu (CSD Kisumu)

  66. Community Welfare and Development Fund

  67. Conacce Chaplains Internacional

  68. CONEYSO 

  69. Congo Leadership Academy

  70. Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO)

  71. Creación Positiva

  72. Curtis Business

  73. Dandora Dumpsite Rehabilitation Group

  74. DHEWA (development for health education work & awareness) Welfare Society Chakwal Pakistan

  75. District Ayurved Office 

  76. Dr Uzo Adirieje Foundation (DUZAFOUND)

  77. Droits de l'Homme Sans Frontières (DHSF)

  78. East Eagle Foundation

  79. Eastgate Media Zim

  80. Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives

  81. Ecology Africa Foundation 

  82. Empire Partner Foundation

  83. Empower Society Transform Lives (ESTL ) Singida Tanzania 

  84. Entaxis - Action for inclusion and education

  85. Environmental Heritage foundation of Botswana Trust 

  86. Equality Right Africa Organization

  87. Equip-2-Learn 

  88. Espace De Réflexion Et Actions Des Filles

  89. FALCOH Foundation

  90. Federation Des Femmes Pour Le Developpement Integral Au Congo (FEDICONGO)

  91. FOKUS - Forum for Women and Development

  92. Fondation Generation Libre

  93. Fondation Marie-Claire

  94. Fondation Nicole Ilunga

  95. Formidable Initiatives for Women and Girls

  96. Forum for Empowerment and Transformation of Young Leaders

  97. Fundación Ávila Cruz A. C. 

  98. Fundacion Kalu Ibaky

  99. Fundación T.E.A. Trabajo Educación Ambiente

  100. Futur Radieux 

  101. Future Leaders Society

  102. Future We Want United Nation

  103. Gala Initiative Uganda

  104. GEMF

  105. Gender- Centru

  106. Gender Justice 

  107. Girls Education Mission International 

  108. Girls In Need

  109. Give Hope Uganda

  110. Global Learning for Sustainability

  111. GRAP

  112. Grève Internationale des Femmes.

  113. Grupo Creamos

  114. Gutu United Residents and Ratepayers Association- GURRA

  115. Haakro Welfare Association

  116. Helping Our People Excel

  117. Hope Worldwide - Pakistan 

  118. Indraprastha Public Affairs Centre

  119. INEVA - International Network of Values 

  120. Initiative des Femmes pour la Paix, la Promotion et le Développement (IFPPD)

  121. Initiatives des Femmes en Situations Difficiles pour le Développement Durable et Intégré

  122. INSPIRIT Creatives NGO

  123. Institute for Democratic Action & Development (IDAD)

  124. Instituto para el Futuro Común Amerindio (IFCA)

  125. International Association for Political Science Students

  126. International Presentation Association

  127. International Public Policy Institute

  128. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

  129. International Women Fund Azerbaijan

  130. ISDO RWANDA 

  131. IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands (IUCN NL)

  132. Izandla Ziyagezana Community Development Center

  133. Jade Propuestas Sociales y Alternativas al Desarrollo, A.C.

  134. Jajere youth consultative forum

  135. Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society 

  136. K.U.L.U.- Women and Development

  137. Kadiwaku Family Foundation

  138. Kanishksocialmedia - KSM CHANNEL 

  139. Karapatan Alliance Philippines

  140. Khmer National Liberation Front 

  141. Kiangure Springs Environment Initiative

  142. Kijana Hai Foundation 

  143. Lanka Fundamental Rights Organization

  144. Las pasionarias - Programa de Radio ENxebre 

  145. Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy

  146. Legal Right Informants

  147. Let There Be Light International

  148. Life bridge for progression outreach

  149. Ligue pour la solidarité congolaise

  150. Ligue Tchadienne des Droits de l'homme

  151. Local Sustainable Communities Organisation (Losco)

  152. Love to Love

  153. Maison de la Société Civile

  154. Manna Development Agecy

  155. Media Education Centre

  156. Meera Foundation 

  157. mHub

  158. Mother Daughter Empowerment 

  159. Motherland Water Association of Lesotho

  160. Mouvement Citoyen Ras-le-bol

  161. Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People-MOSOP

  162. Mujer Fuerte

  163. MY World Mexico

  164. National Council of Women

  165. National Youth Council of India 

  166. Nawi Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective

  167. Network for Women Economic Empowerment Peace and Development

  168. New Europeans

  169. New Life Organisation

  170. NGO "League of Professional Women" (LPW)

  171. NGO Futures LLC

  172. NGO Peace One Day Mali

  173. NGO World and Danube

  174. Nigerian Youth SDGs Network

  175. Northern Smoke Signals LTD.

  176. Nouveaux Droits de l'homme Congo Brazzaville

  177. Observatoire du Sahara pour la Paix, la Démocratie et les Droits de l'Homme "OSPDH"

  178. ONG AJED (Appui Jeunes Pour Le Développement)

  179. ONG ITODJU

  180. Pariwartan Sanchar Samuha 

  181. Parlement Africain de la Société Civile 

  182. Participatory Research Action Network- PRAN

  183. Pastoral Women's Council (PWC)

  184. PAX

  185. Paz Civica 

  186. Peaceful and Active Centre for Humanity - Peach

  187. PJUD-BENIN ONG

  188. Psychologues du Monde Afrique 

  189. Queen of Peace Foundation

  190. RACI

  191. Rainforest Alliance

  192. Rashtriye Mahila Surkasha Manch

  193. Rausing Zimbabwe

  194. REDHNNA, Red por los DDHH de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes

  195. Remesha Magazine

  196. Rencontre pour la Paix et les Droits de l'Homme

  197. Research Centre Consult

  198. Research Institute and Youth Empowerment 

  199. Réseau des jeunes pour la promotion de l'abandon des MGF et des mariages d'enfants

  200. Réseau des Organisations de la Société Civile pour l'Observation et le Suivi des Élections en Guinée (ROSE) 

  201. Réseau national de la jeunesse du Mali

  202. Réseau Nigérien des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (RNDDH)

  203. Rural Women's Network Nepal (RUWON Nepal)

  204. San Youth Network

  205. Save Dreams Liberia

  206. Save Our Youth Zambia Foundation

  207. Savie Asbl NGO PGEL LGBTIQ DRC 

  208. Scarlet initiative Uganda

  209. SEVICS

  210. Shanduko Yeupenyu Child Care 

  211. Sheila Reyes Peñafiel

  212. Shibganj Integrated Development Society

  213. Sisters of Charity Federation 

  214. Social Mission Catalysts LLC

  215. Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN)

  216. Soroptimist International 

  217. SOS Jeunesse et Enfance en Détresse "SOS JED"

  218. Sourires de femmes 

  219. South Sudan Community Change Agency

  220. Speaking Influence Africa

  221. Students for Global Democracy Uganda

  222. Sustainable and Inclusive Development for Southeast Asia

  223. Sustenta Honduras

  224. Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition

  225. Tanzania Network of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (TNW+) 

  226. TEACH CÔTE D'IVOIRE 

  227. TEDIC

  228. The Coalition for Women in Journalism

  229. The Digital Biography 

  230. The Gulf Centre for Human Rights

  231. The Wave Ke

  232. Tim Africa Aid Ghana

  233. Toto Centre Initiative

  234. Tournons la Page Côté D’Ivoire

  235. Trans Alliance Anna Foundation Uganda 

  236. Tribal Rights Watch Pakistan

  237. Tulips International Foundation 

  238. Udisha

  239. UDK Consultancy

  240. UHAI EASHRI

  241. Ukrainian Association for Research in Women's History

  242. Ukrainian Women Veteran Movement (UWVM)

  243. Unique Foundation, The Gambia

  244. Valeurs 

  245. Volunteer Activists Institute

  246. Volunteers Members International Human Rights Commission 

  247. Wacare Organization

  248. Welfare Taskforce for Malaysian Students Abroad

  249. Welsiane Foundation 

  250. Western Youth Empire 

  251. WHRDMENA Coalition

  252. WIPGG Nigeria 

  253. Women Against Violence and Expediency Handling Initiative

  254. Women and Modern World Social Charitable Center

  255. Women Deliver

  256. Women for Change 

  257. Women in Development

  258. Women Legal Work and Marriage Counselling

  259. Women Liberty 

  260. Women's Coalition Against Cancer - (WOCACA)

  261. Women's March Global

  262. Word Smash Poetry Movement 

  263. YARD-Liberia, Inc

  264. YEPSAfrica - Youth Ending Period Stigma.

  265. Young Peace Builders (YPB)

  266. Young Professional Development Society Nepal (YPDSN)

  267. YoungMenEngage for Equality2030

  268. Youth Desk Evangelical Church Of Cameroon

  269. Youth for Pakistan

  270. Youth for Peace and Development

  271. Youth Forum for Social Justice

  272. Youth innovation centre 

  273. Youth Without Borders - Tunisia

  274. 中华民国(武汉)行政院筹委会

Appendix: Cases of Concern

  1. Assembly offline and online:

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns enforced across the world, governments have placed restrictions on the right to protest. Many of the movements have featured strong women leadership, such as:

  • The Hirak protest movement in Algeria or Ni Una Menos in Latin America, have been faced with hurdles to gathering since early 2020 - with many criminalized under lockdown restrictions used to curb freedom of assembly - a further escalation of restrictions in an already restrictive climate for protesters. 

  • In Kyrgyzstan, women were assaulted, detained and ill-treated during 8 March protests in recognition of International Women’s Day in 2020. Furthermore, as COVID-19 resulted in innumerable job losses globally, women were most affected. 

  • In El Salvador, over 100 workers, led by women, staged a protest and hunger strike in February 2021 following being dismissed in June 2020 without compensation. 

  • Similarly in Poland in January 2021, following further clampdowns on access to abortion, peaceful protests erupted across the country and were met with police intimidation where protesters forced to show identification and consequently charged. 

  • In Myanmar, women have been estimated to be 60% of total peaceful protesters playing a critical role in leadership in the 22222 Spring Revolution following a military coup in February 2021.

In response to violence and harassment of women and girls, greatly exacerbated by the pandemic, peaceful protests also erupted in Bangladesh, India, Colombia, Malawi, Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa and Costa Rica (to name a few). In many of these cases, women were harassed, detained or intimidated for their peaceful activities.

  1. Online harassment and intimidation:

During the past year, as advocacy has moved online - women have also faced increased intimidation and harassment. Journalists have been targeted for simply doing their work - oftentimes, the use of social media platforms to target women has been pronounced. Journalists Manira Chaudhary, Evgenija Carl, Fadwa Chtourou and countless others have been targeted for simply doing their work. Similarly, women journalists from Pakistan have faced ongoing cyber-attacks, online harassment and threats - including Gharida Farooki, who experienced an attempted hacking of her Twitter account. A 2020 study by the International Center of Journalists and UNESCO found that 70% of women surveyed had been on the receiving end of harassment, threats or attacks in the past. Furthermore, the Coalition for Women in Journalism has found that in 2021 alone, at least 48 women journalists around the world are in prisons for their journalistic coverage.

For activists working in repressed or closed spaces, the online space remains one of the few spaces available to assemble and conduct effective advocacy for change. Algerian journalist, Abir Benrabah, was hospitalised in November 2020 following online harassment targeting her for her advocacy exposing harassment women and children faced online. Egypt’s #MeToo movement detailed cases of harassment, violence and rape online, prompting the passing of a new law to protect the identity of victims. Despite these gains, Egyptian women were consequently detained on loaded morality charges in September 2020 after responding to a call by the Egyptian authorities to come forward to lay charges. Egyptian journalist and woman human rights defender, Solafa Magdy, has faced sexual harassment and violence while detained. 

  1. Restrictions on association:

In the midst of these difficult civic space conditions, the work of women civil society actors across the world is needed now more than ever. In many instances civil society has been on the frontline of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated crises. In Africa, COVIDWATCH Africa has documented the positive impact of civil society on the frontlines in the continent, at the same time as detailing the ways in which civil society actors have been targeted. Rather than positively responding to advocacy, research and policy recommendations from civil society, authorities have amped up use of complex surveillance technology and spyware, closure and criminalisation of civil society organizations and leaders. 

  • Climate activist, Disha Ravi, was arrested in February 2021 for editing a protest toolkit shared online in support for the farmers protests sweeping across India. 

  • In a series of ongoing attacks, in December 2020 the leadership of Tunisian NGO Damj was targeted through arbitrary arrests, assaults by plainclothes officers and kidnappings following a sit-in to condemn hateful comments by parliamentarian Mohamed al-Afas against the LGBTI community and feminist movements. 

  • In Pakistan, four women human rights defenders were killed in North Waziristan while conducting a vocational skills training in February 2021. The women were shot in a deserted village near the town of Mirali in North Waziristan.

Egyptian women human rights defenders and their organisations continue to face severe reprisals. The murder of lawyer and political activist Hanan al-Barassi in broad daylight in Benghazi on 10 November 2020 also follows a disturbing pattern of violent attacks against prominent women activists in Libya, including unchecked online violence.