The risk of defending human rights in Mexico, particularly, has increased at an alarming rate. Both national and international civil society organizations have documented numerous cases of murder, threats, harassment and aggressions against human rights defenders.
Land and women human rights defenders are particularly vulnerable to intimidations and reprisals. 34 women human rights defenders have been murdered and 82 land human rights defenders have suffered aggressions in the country.
Additionally, the National Commission of Human Rights reported 27 human rights defenders murdered and 8 enforced disappeared from January 2005 to May 2011. On the other hand, civil society organizations registered 104 cases of aggressions against them and human rights defenders. Oaxaca and Guerrero are the states with higher levels of aggressions against human rights defenders in the country.
Impunity has been the rule. None of the aggressions reported have been sanctioned and the alleged perpetrators of those crimes have not been brought to justice.
Being 8th of March International Women’s Day, a wide group of Mexican and international organizations organize a side event within the framework of the 28th Human Rights Council session with the aim to visibilize the situation of women human rights defenders in the context of violence in Mexico.
After launching the campaign #MakeThemVisible women human rights defenders from Mexico will speak up in Geneva to raise international awareness about human rights violations, such as torture, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detentions and forced displacement committed against them.
The panelists will also discuss the current failures of Mexico's Protection Mechanism for human rights defenders in responding to the specific needs of women defenders. The Mechanism was created by law in 2012, but has so far failed to live up to expectations due to political and practical failures, as documented by WOLA and PBI recently.
This event is an opportunity to discuss the impact of violent contexts upon human rights defenders, what the Mexican State can do to ensure that this impact is mitigated in a way which takes into account the specific needs of women defenders, and what is going on with the Protection Mechanism. It is also a chance to discuss the implementation the UN General Assembly resolution on women human rights defenders, in contexts such as Mexico.
The panel will also discuss preliminary observations from November’s Civil Society Observation Mission to Mexico, in which was organized by the CMDPDH.
Structure
Panellists:
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Co-Sponsors: |
Organizer of the side event:
Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH)
Co-sponsors:
Federation Internationale des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH)
Front Line Defenders
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
Peace Brigades International (PBI)
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)
Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC)
Just Associates (JASS)
Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders
Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca A.C
Deutsche Menschenrechtskoordination Mexiko
Mexican National Women Human Rights Defenders Network
Centro Robert F. Kennedy Para la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos (Centro RFK)
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