In October 2024, the Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders (IM-Defensoras) publicly launched their latest report “Data that Hurt Us, Networks that Save Us: 10+ Years of Attacks against Women Human Rights Defenders in Mesoamerica,” which outlines the alarming rise in violence against women human rights defenders (WHRDs) across the region.
IM-Defensoras, an organization advocating for the safety and rights of WHRDs, sheds light on these patterns of violence using detailed graphs and statistics that underscore the extent and frequency of the attacks.
This comprehensive report is a critical milestone, highlighting over a decade of violence against women defenders, along with the innovative community-driven strategies that protect and uplift their crucial work.
Since its inception in 2012, IM-Defensoras has documented over 35,000 attacks on nearly 9,000 women defenders across Mesoamerica. These courageous individuals champion diverse human rights issues ranging from land and environmental rights to freedom of expression. Yet, in their quest to protect fundamental rights, they face significant risks, particularly from state actors, extractive industries, and organized crime.
Key Insights from the Report
The IM-Defensoras report not only presents a stark look at the violence and repression endured by women defenders but also celebrates their collective resilience and solidarity. Among the report’s major findings:
– Rise in Attacks: The rate of documented attacks on women defenders has escalated significantly since 2020, a troubling trend largely attributed to rising authoritarianism, militarization, and systemic oppression across the region.
– Intersectional Focus: The report includes in-depth analysis of the unique challenges faced by women across various identities, including Indigenous, Afro-descendant, LGBTQ+, and rural communities. This intersectional lens is crucial to understanding and addressing the diversity of attacks.
– Community-Led Data Collection: Women defenders themselves collected and validated the data for this report, ensuring authenticity and community involvement throughout the process.
– Collaborative Care Strategies: The report underscores the importance of regional networks for protection. IM-Defensoras has created collective care initiatives, providing mental health and trauma support to help defenders persevere.
Regional Collaboration and Feminist Methodology
IM-Defensoras’ registry, maintained by national networks in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, reflects a pioneering model of feminist documentation. With this community-centered approach, the report presents both quantitative and qualitative data, allowing IM-Defensoras to capture the broader impacts of violence and illuminate patterns across the region.
“We register to protect, to care, and to make informed decisions. This work is life-giving, even as we confront very painful realities,” shared a Nicaraguan woman defender involved in the registry process.
A Call for Urgent Action
IM-Defensoras concludes with an urgent call to protect women human rights defenders, advocating for state accountability, sustainable policies, and protection measures that confront the structural forces fuelling oppression. The report serves as both a powerful indictment of the systems that perpetuate this violence and an inspiring testament to the power of solidarity.
As the need for robust protections continues, IM-Defensoras’ work is a reminder that when women defend rights, they defend life itself, bridging communities and creating pathways toward justice in Mesoamerica and beyond.
Below are key insights from the report’s executive summary, which outlines the alarming rise in violence against women human rights defenders (WHRDs) across Latin America and the Caribbean. The report sheds light on these patterns of violence using detailed graphs and statistics that underscore the extent and frequency of the attacks.
Key Findings Include:
- Types of Aggression: WHRDs face an array of threats, ranging from physical attacks and harassment to criminalization and smear campaigns. The report shows a disproportionate impact on Indigenous women, LGBTQ+ activists, and environmental defenders.
- Frequency of Attacks: Alarming trends reveal that WHRDs encounter threats at a much higher rate than their male counterparts, highlighting the specific risks faced by women due to gendered violence.
Understanding the Data
The report includes several graphs that give a clearer picture of how WHRDs are being targeted.
- Types of Attacks Against WHRDs: One of the graphs categorizes the forms of aggression WHRDs face, illustrating a grim reality: verbal threats and psychological harassment are the most frequent forms of violence, followed closely by online attacks and intimidation. These trends indicate the prevalent use of non-physical, often more insidious methods to target WHRDs, aiming to dissuade them from their activism and advocacy.
- Distribution of Attacks by Region and Type: Another graph showcases the distribution of attacks across different regions, with significant spikes in countries experiencing political instability. The data highlights that Central American WHRDs are among the most affected, as political and social climates in these areas create hostile environments for advocates of human rights, gender equality, and environmental justice.
3. Increase in Digital Harassment: With the rise of social media, WHRDs are increasingly vulnerable to online harassment. The report indicates that digital spaces, while crucial for advocacy, have become hostile environments, particularly for younger WHRDs, who are more active on these platforms. This insight emphasizes the need for online safety measures and digital literacy training for WHRDs.
Calls for Action and Support
The report’s findings urgently call for comprehensive support for WHRDs, advocating for policies that prioritize their safety and recognize their vital role in advancing human rights. IM-Defensoras emphasizes the importance of international solidarity, increased funding, and legal protections for WHRDs, particularly for those belonging to Indigenous and LGBTQ+ communities who face intersecting vulnerabilities.
Read the full executive summary here.
