In 2005, WOREC facilitated a common platform known as Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) for women working in human rights to come together and advocate for their rights and security. The campaign focuses on capacity building of WHRDs, dissemination of information, documentation in giving visibility to the violence against WHRDs, advocacy on legal recognition of WHRDs with changes at grassroots and national level, support mechanisms and networking. WOREC is a founder of National Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders (NAWHRD).
Inspired by the solidarity among all women activists of the world, the need to bring forth the issue of WHRDs in the context of Nepal and as a follow up to international consultation on WHRD held in Colombo in November 2005, WOREC held a national consultation on women human rights defenders in Nepal on March 3-4, 2006.
The consultation was able to bring together grassroots women who although with similar experience and commitment never had a chance to come together in such a forum. III The purpose of the national consultation was to bring together women human rights defenders from all over Nepal in one platform where they could share and reflect upon the experiences they face. The purpose was also to provide women defenders a safe space where they could identify and name the abuses they face by state or non state actors.
Since the consultation took place before the historical people’s movement, the political context was that of an autocratic regime, hence the proceedings capture the sentiments of the time period before the historical people’s movement.
Reports can be downloaded here: