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ISHR provides solidarity and support to defenders working on issues of equality and non-discrimination.
The right to equality, to be treated fairly, and to be free and protected from discrimination is fundamental to human dignity. It is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all of the core human rights treaties, and in many national laws and constitutions.
Many human rights defenders focus their work on ensuring that people and communities are treated fairly and equally, and to address issues of widespread discrimination, such as systemic racism, sexism or misogyny. Many human rights defenders themselves face discrimination because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex characteristics, or other characteristics.
Through this programme, ISHR provides solidarity and support to defenders working on issues of equality and non-discrimination. This includes women HRDs (WHRDs) and defenders working on issues of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics (SOGIESC defenders). It also includes migrant and refugee rights defenders, anti-racism and black, indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) defenders, as well as other HRDs working to dismantle patriarchal, racist, capitalist, colonialist and other oppressive agendas.
Read our latest news on Equality, dignity and non-discrimination.
We look back at discussions led by UN Experts during the 79th General Assembly's Third Committee session on issues including political participation, business accountability, cultural rights and extrajudicial executions.
Zholia Parsi of Afghanistan and Manuchehr Kholiqnazarov of Tajikistan received the 2024 Martin Ennals Award in recognition of their work in deeply repressive environments.
At France’s review by the UN Human Rights Committee, the case of Adama Traoré illustrated grave concerns about police violence and impunity. The French government must now take concrete steps to implement the Committee's recommendations.
ISHR and Outright International welcome the UN General Assembly Third Committee Member States’ adoption of a resolution on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions that again specifically includes sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited grounds of discrimination.
On 17 October 2024, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, presented her latest report in an interactive dialogue with United Nations member States during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in the Third Committee.
Rute Fiuza demands justice for her son Davi, 16 years old, who was forcibly disappeared by 23 military police officers Brazil in October 2014.
