The situation for women’s rights activists

International Women's Days Protests in Belgrade, Serbia. Photo: Lara Končar

Women’s rights activists

Supporting women human rights defenders (WHRDs) is at the heart of The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation’s work. Today, we support more than 100 women’s rights organisations in 20 countries affected by conflict in their work to strengthen women’s rights, influence and power and to achieve lasting peace.

The UN defines a women human rights defender as a person who works to defend women’s rights and promote gender issues. Most women human rights defenders are women, though not all are. Their work ensures the protection of women’s rights and the broader human rights of marginalised communities.

Where does my strength come from? Hope. We hope one day things will change. If no one speaks out, suffering will continue. Destroyed lives must be repaired. There must be people who keep fighting and raising voices.

– Julienne, DR Congo

International Women's Days Protests in Belgrade, Serbia. Photo: Lara Končar

The situation for women’s rights activists

Since 2013, Kvinna till Kvinna has monitored the situation of women human rights defenders in conflict-affected countries. We have documented how they face distinct gendered threats that are often dismissed as “ordinary” violence against women, rather than recognised as a deliberate strategy to intimidate, silence and prevent them from challenging existing power structures.

The situation is becoming increasingly dangerous as political and religious actors weaponise anti-gender rhetoric and disinformation to consolidate power and portray feminist movements as threats to traditional family values. These narratives are used to justify state-led repression and the criminalisation of activists. At the same time, a global funding crisis is reducing support for women’s rights organisations, further weakening the ability of activists to continue their work.

Even when we’re just posting facts and figures on women’s participation, we receive hateful comments. When men’s power is in danger, they will find a way to threaten you. You can never sleep feeling safe.

– Sonja Hadji Nikolov, North Macedonia

Learn more about the threats facing women’s rights activists in our latest report.

Download the report »

The vital role of women's rights activists

Women’s rights activists play a crucial role in building resilient and inclusive societies. Their work underpins democracy and peace. In conflict-affected regions, they provide vital support by documenting human-rights violations to help secure future accountability. They also offer essential psychological and legal support to survivors of violence.

Through their advocacy, they strengthen democratic systems by challenging authoritarian narratives and reclaiming civic space. They promote social cohesion through dialogue and efforts to advance human rights. By developing educational programmes on health and rights, and by supporting community-led peace initiatives, they help empower marginalised groups. Their participation in regional and international forums ensures that marginalised voices are heard and helps push back against forces that seek to undermine gender equality.

Lviv, Ukraine. Photo: Katya Moskalyuk

I fight for women’s rights because I see how quickly a woman’s life can change when she is supported, believed, and protected. Every woman deserves safety, respect, and the freedom to choose her own future.

– Maryna Shymanska, Ukraine

How can we support women’s rights activists?

The international community must step up its support for women human rights defenders and recognise the gendered nature of the threats they face. Key actions include:

Recognise the distinct and gendered risks faced by women human rights defenders.
Prioritise flexible funding that responds to activists’ actual needs, ensuring resources are available for what they require most rather than what donors assume they need.
Support safe spaces where women’s rights activists can meet and strategise, build solidarity and develop collective security plans away from surveillance and harassment.
Facilitate and fund the participation of women’s rights activists in regional and international fora, including the EU, the African Union (AU) and the UN, to strengthen their influence and counter anti-gender actors in these spaces.
Ensure that international and regional organisations, including the EU and the UN, meet independently with women’s rights organisations, both urban and rural, during country visits. Such meetings should take place without the presence of anti-gender groups that may seek to silence independent women’s voices.
Publicly condemn and investigate smear campaigns and online harassment targeting women human rights defenders, while providing dedicated resources for both digital and physical security.
Social media companies should, in consultation with women human rights defenders, establish easy-to-access rapid-response mechanisms to remove threatening content and suspend accounts that harass activists or spread disinformation.

The only positive thing I can see is that civil society keeps fighting. They’re out on the streets, vocally demanding change. But they can only react: they don’t have the luxury of working on their own agenda, it’s all about holding the line.

– Activist, Tunisia (State of WHRD 2023)

Publications

The State of Women Human Rights Defenders 2026

The state of women human rights defenders 2023

They came together not to be silenced—gender-based violence in conflict & the role of women’s rights organisations

Solidarity is our only weapon

The Fierce and the Furious (2019)

Suffocating the movement—shrinking space for women’s rights (2018)

Femdefenders: The hatred against women human rights defenders – online and offline (2014)

Insiste Persiste Resiste Existe (2008)

Discover our organisation

Who we are

We are one of the world’s leading feminist women’s rights organisations, working directly in areas affected by war and conflict to strengthen the influence and power of all women.

Where we work

We work in both conflict-affected and humanitarian contexts, currently in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region), the South Caucasus and sub-Saharan Africa.