Today, 29th November marks the eighth anniversary of International Women’s Human Rights Defenders Day.

A landmark UN resolution on protecting WHRDs, passed this week, urges States to put in place gender-specific laws and policies for the protection of WHRDs and to ensure that defenders themselves are involved in the design and implementation of these measures.

UN member states should take the necessary steps to promptly implement this resolution, so that WHRDs around the world can carry out their work in safety and without fear of reprisals.