Urgent Report Reveals Alarming Surge in Attacks on Women Defenders
UPDATE: A groundbreaking report from CIVICUS reveals a shocking increase in attacks against women human rights defenders (WHRDs), underscoring a global crackdown on civic freedoms. The 2025 People Power Under Attack report, released on December 15, 2025, highlights that individuals in 83 countries now face conditions where their basic freedoms are routinely violated, sharply down from 67 countries in 2020.
This urgent situation is further illustrated by a steep decline in the global population living in regions where civic freedoms are respected, plunging from 13 percent in 2020 to a mere 7 percent today. The report documents numerous violations, including the detention of human rights defenders, journalists, and protesters, with WHRDs at particular risk due to their gender and advocacy work.
The plight of WHRDs is dire. Many face increased discrimination, abuse, and online harassment, exacerbated by rising authoritarian regimes and fundamentalist ideologies. As the report states, anti-rights networks are becoming more aggressive, undermining campaigns for women’s rights and gender justice. These groups manipulate narratives, spreading disinformation that threatens the safety and credibility of WHRDs worldwide.
Among the most alarming cases, WHRDs in Iran, such as Pakhshan Azizi and Narges Mohammadi, are currently facing death sentences. Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been imprisoned multiple times for her activism. Similarly, Chow Hang-Tung, an advocate for labor rights in Hong Kong, has been arbitrarily detained, alongside other activists like Marfa Rabkova in Belarus and Kenia Hernandez in Mexico.
The report shares harrowing accounts of WHRDs’ experiences. One mother, falsely accused of illegal possession of firearms, was forcibly taken from her home while carrying her newborn. Another elderly woman, dedicated to empowering Indigenous communities, was arrested and denied medical treatment. These stories highlight a troubling systemic issue, where oppressive regimes thrive on patriarchal power structures and anti-rights narratives.
CIVICUS’s Stand As My Witness Campaign poignantly illustrates the brutal reality for WHRDs, documenting violent arrests and inhumane treatment of activists worldwide. The report calls for immediate action to dismantle the gender-discriminatory norms that fuel human rights violations.
It emphasizes the necessity for intersectional protection mechanisms and gender-transformative responses from national and international human rights institutions. Multilateral organizations must hold member states accountable for their commitments to human rights, particularly those impacting WHRDs.
The Sustainable Development Goals recognize gender equality as vital for sustainable development; however, little has been done to ensure the safety of those advocating for it. As attacks on WHRDs escalate, the global community must act decisively to protect these vital defenders, ensuring they are not just acknowledged but actively supported in their pursuit of justice.
As the situation develops, the urgency for coordinated efforts to promote gender justice and combat misinformation is paramount. Women and girls are crucial to achieving peace and justice, yet they face unprecedented threats. The world must rally to protect and uplift the voices of WHRDs, who are increasingly under siege in a hostile environment.
What happens next? Activists and organizations worldwide are urged to amplify their support for WHRDs, demanding accountability and protection from abuses. The time for action is now—human rights defenders deserve our unwavering support in the face of escalating violence.
