Women keeping human rights alive

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Colombia: Tejido Mujer, represented by Yohana Conda

Yohana’s work grows directly out of the shared dreams of the Nasa people: a life of peace, well-being and harmony between communities, the land and all beings who inhabit it. She is devoted to protecting life and territory, and to staying true to the responsibilities her community has entrusted to her.
 

‘My goal is connected to the dreams of all the women and families who live in this territory: to achieve peace and well-being for everyone, in harmony with all beings with whom we share life. My commitment is to work for the recognition of the work that the women and men of our organisation do, and to achieve balance between people and Mother Earth. My goal is to always be faithful to the community mandate. I want to be the woman, mother and partner who contributes every day to the realisation of our dreams.’

Challenges

Yohana faces daily risks as she defends the rights of Indigenous communities and their territories.

‘My greatest challenge is protecting my own life every day so that I can contribute my gifts and skills to the cultural and political actions aimed at defending the human rights of people and the land.’

She also works to balance her responsibilities as a mother of three with the psychological demands of supporting people living through violence:

‘Another challenge is balancing my time so as not to neglect my responsibilities as a mother. It is not easy to attend to and support people in situations of violence almost daily, and the challenge is to ensure that these situations do not negatively impact my family.’

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Yemen: Ms Maeen al-Obaidi

Maeen has spent more than two decades protecting women in Yemen and defending their rights.

‘When I graduated in 2002 and became a lawyer, my ultimate goal was to help protect women in my community, defend their rights, and ensure that women do not fall as forgotten victims. Growing up in Yemen and hearing daily stories of women’s struggles created a self-force to support marginalised women and defend their right to live with dignity, equality and access to opportunities.’

Challenges

Working amid an active conflict, Maeen faces significant risks as a mediator in community disputes, water conflicts and prisoner exchanges.

‘On a daily basis, I face direct security threats, risks and intimidation from several warring factions. The absence of technical or financial support poses significant obstacles to continue mediation efforts. The absence of protection mechanisms contributes to overwhelming stress and anxiety for me and my family.’

The recent killing of her close colleague has intensified the danger:

‘My dear friend and partner in activism, Iftehan al-Mashhari, was shot dead with 20 bullets in broad daylight. I am still in shock and fear being the next on the list. My family live in constant fear every single day I leave the house. The prolonged war is impacting social norms and making freedom of speech more complex: our voices as women vs our lives.’

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Indonesia: KUPI represented by Ibu Ruby

Ibu’s life is goal is to position women as actors of peace. According to her, their presence is essential in peace processes.

‘They are, in a genuine sense, guardians of life because they carry the womb. This gives them a deep sensitivity to life, shaping their inherent character as peacemakers. Their awareness also makes them more attuned to signs of sexual violence during times of crisis.’

Challenges

KUPI has to deal with a shrinking civic space and an increase of the risk of criminalization securitization and militarization. Second, conservative religious interpretations often position women as second-class:

This is what KUPI and I have been working to change, so that more gender-just interpretations can spread. KUPI offers an open, women-affirming religious perspective, one that should be widely shared.

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Ukraine: Ukrainian Women-Lawyers Association "JurFem", represented by Krystyna Kit

JurFem’s mission is to empower women, promote equality, and ensure justice, with a particular focus on placing survivors’ rights and needs at the centre of the justice system’s response to gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence.

‘The ultimate goal of JurFem and its community of women human rights defenders is to empower women, promote equality, and ensure justice. We have been striving to ensure that the survivor – with their needs and their right to dignified and gender-sensitive treatment – is placed at the center of the justice system’s response to cases of gender-based violence / conflict-related sexual violence.’

Challenges

JurFem has operated in conditions of war since the organisation was founded in 2017, facing continuous consequences of Russia’s war, intensified by the full-scale invasion in 2022.

‘The organisation has been operating in conditions of war: missile attacks, power outages, destroyed homes, and other war-related consequences. One of our main tasks - and challenges - is to ensure justice for Ukraine and all survivors, and to hold Russia and all perpetrators accountable. Women in Ukraine are still insufficiently represented in decision-making processes, which directly affects our own capacities and opportunities. Another significant challenge is securing stable funding, especially in light of recent changes in the international context.’

Support

According to Krystyna. working in partnership with government bodies, international organisations, civil society and international partners helps build trust in the system of international law and human rights:

‘The Embassy Tulip Award has been a very important signal of support. It gives us inspiration and hope.’