“Being a woman, and a women’s human rights activist, mean actively regaining my space and rights in places from which they are trying to exclude me.” – Lara Aharonian












The exhibition was opened with a speech from Lara Aharonian,  Human Rights House Yerevan, Armenia, and one of the women human rights defenders featured in the photo series. The lecture entitled “Defending Human Rights is a Woman’s right” covered women human rights defenders in Armenia and the Caucasus. It focused on smear campaigns and incitement to hatred against these activists, and  on the reaction of a conservative society against the social activity of women.

In her speech Ahronian said: “When you are a woman human rights defender, you are not only being repressed by the state and society, but also inside your home, because a lot of the time the closest people to you don’t understand why you need to be so active, why you need to be different to what society is expecting from you.”

“A lot of women human rights defenders have children; they are married; they have parents they take care of. And apart from the hard work they are doing in the field, they also must face the challenges coming from their own families,” commented Aharonian, on the difficulties often faced by WHRDs

 

Human Rights House Chernihiv recorded video of the opening.

The opening was also attended by other women human rights defenders featured in the exhibition, including Daria Svyrydova (Ukrainian Human Rights Union), Tetiana Pechonchyk (Human Rights Information Centre), and Oleksandra Matvyichuk (Civic Initiative, Euromaidan SOS, Center for Civil Liberties). They participated in a panel discussion together with Lara Aharonian and HRHF’s regional manager for Eastern Europe and Caucasus, Ane Bonde. They discussed the gender aspects of defending human rights.

Visitors viewing the exhibition on its opening night in Kyiv. “The exhibition was made to increase the acknowledgement of the vital role of the work by women human rights defenders. Women human rights defenders often challenge religious and cultural norms and patriarchal attitudes, which subordinate, stigmatise, or restrict women. Because of this, women defenders often face threats and abuse that male defenders may not – from smear campaigns to sexual and gender-based violence. That is why events like this are so important, because they give a much-needed platform to shed light on the significant work that women human rights defenders do.” said Ane Bonde at the opening. 

The exhibition in Kyiv is organised by Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv in a partnership with America House and Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union with the financial support of Human Rights House Foundation and US Agency for International Development. It can be viewed till 30 July and visitors are required to show a passport for admission.

“Women Human Rights Defenders: Portraits of Strength“ features the portraits of 18 women human rights defenders in the Human Rights House Network, acknowledging the vital role that women play locally, nationally, and internationally in protecting and promoting human rights.

The series of portraits aims to honor Women Human Rights Defenders within the Network and to denounce the high levels of threats and repression against them across the world.

HRHN’s photo exhibition was launched following the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in November 2013 of a landmark resolution on women human rights defenders.

Norway was the main sponsor of the resolution and led the negociations leading to its unanimous adoption at the General Assembly. ”The resolution sends a clear message that oppression of women human rights defenders must never be accepted. It prescribes a number of steps to be taken by states to prevent violence, violations and abuses against anyone who defends the human rights of women,” said State Secretary Hans Brattskar in March 2014 at the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women