The role of women human rights reporters and defenders and how to overcome harassment and violence they are subject to

THE ROLE OF WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTERS AND DEFENDERS AND HOW TO OVERCOME HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE THEY ARE SUBJECT TO

9 March 2021, 13:00-14:00 CET

Women play a crucial role in the local and global human rights movement. Defending rights is getting more and more dangerous.  Meaningful participation and reporting about human rights abuse are crucial steps in claiming and campaigning for a more equal, just and peaceful society.

The Civic Solidarity Platform Working Group on Women and Gender Realities in the OSCE Region holds the side event to the first Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM) of 2021 on Media Freedom and Gender Equality. The event is dedicated to the role of women human rights reporters and defenders and how to overcome harassment and violence they are subject to.

The side event will present a number of cases and testimonies to deepen understanding of the forces at play and discuss how people, organizations and institutions can sustain and enhance gender equality in reporting and in discussions online and offline.

The event will take place online. Access info will be shared with registered SHDM participants at https://meetings.odihr.pl/resources (Please log-in to access the link.)

Agenda

• Heidi Meinzolt, Germany, Coordinator of the CSP WG, WILPF int. Board: Introduction of CSP and WG: Impact of an intersectional analysis on reporting and campaigning for women’s rights, meaningful participation and peacebuilding in the OSCE area.
• Tolekan Ismailova, Kirgisztan NGO Birduino, Vice President of the FIDH: "Alarming trends, how culture and religion are used to justify violence against women and girls in Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan?  Why does Gender Equality need media freedom in CA?"
• Gulnara Shahinian, Armenia Democracy today Armenia: Documentation of violence against women in war times and research on war crimes from a women’s perspective.
• Uzay Bulut, Turkey, Journalist and human rights activist: How Turkey’s military offensives affect women & minorities in the region and what kind of challenges journalists & rights advocates face while commenting or reporting on them.
• Julia Kharashvili, Georgia, NGO IDP Women Association "Consent"
• Annika Schabbauer, Sweden, Operation 1325: Women’s security work needs to be visible in media and why women in media are important for a peaceful and democratic society
• Lana Dadu, Poland, Women’s rights activist: Demonstrations in Poland, defending fundamental rights and freedoms of women- difficult relationsship to (public) media
• Maryna Korzh, Belarus, Fem group: The struggle for equality and women's rights which is or should be part of a democratic uprising, comes up against the narrow limits of a thoroughly patriarchal society. Awareness raising, international feminist solidarity should make deficits visible.