Celebrating women in activism and civil society (A/75/184) 

Women of all ages and backgrounds, working collectively and creatively, are leading and inspiring social movements, peaceful protests and civil society initiatives that seek to transform existing social, political and economic structures. They are at the forefront of today’s most pressing global struggles, including tackling the greatest impediments to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and responding to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Whether it is speaking up against militarization and discriminatory policing, fighting poverty and economic inequality, reclaiming democracy and political freedom, advancing women’s rights and gender equality, improving communities or organizing for fair work and climate justice, women are the drivers of change around the world.

The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association is central to these movements and initiatives. Nonetheless, despite their vital importance, the voices of women and their contributions to activism and civil society continue to be undervalued, underresourced 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. In many cases, the situation has even deteriorated, with many women experiencing an increase in severe violations of these fundamental freedoms and backlashes against gender equality. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many of these challenges and constraints.

Women’s rights are too often trampled

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur recognizes and elevates the enormous contribution to human rights, peace and sustainable development by women exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, while examining the gendered and intersectional restrictions that they face to exercise these freedoms be it in the private or in the public sphere.

UNSR Voule recognizes that, while progress have been made since the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action was signed 25 years ago, as long as gender-based violence and its threat are not eliminated, women will not be able to engage in public life and enjoy their FoAA rights fully, with all the consequences this entails.

The Special Rapporteur called for:

immediate action by States and other relevant stakeholders to fulfil women’s rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. There is no acceptable justification for the continued trends of discrimination and violence described in the present report, much less for regression of hard-fought gains.

The report concludes with recommendations for the creation of a more enabling environment for the protection of these rights for women and girls.

This report (A/75/184) was submitted by Special Rapporteur Clement Voule to the General Assembly of the United Nations in October 2020 during its 75th session.

 

Read the full report (A/75/184) in all UN languages here. 

Watch the webinar for the launch of the report here: