Brussels, 4 June 2018

Protection International will participate in the European Development Days (EDD), the event that brings the development community together each year to share ideas and experiences in ways that inspire new partnerships and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. 

The present edition, which will take place on 5 and 6 June at the European Commission, will focus on the vital role of women and the need for their full and equal participation and leadership in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Among the many panel discussions in the EDD, PI will be taking part,  in Woman on the Frontlines: How the Closing Space for Civil Society Impacts Women Activists and Sustainable Development for Women and Girls, organized as well by Just Associates, the Fund for Global Human Rights, Mama Cash and Urgent Action Fund.

This panel aims to generate dialogue on how the human rights and development communities can collectively respond to the global crackdown on civil society and push back on the restrictions women activists face that are hampering women’s equality and inclusion in sustainable development.

Since 2012 there has been an acceleration of legal, defamatory, and physical attacks on civil society actors, and over 144 restrictive legislative initiatives, in 72 countries, have been proposed or enacted. Although there is an increased discourse on this growing global crackdown, there has been a critical lens missing in much of it: how closing space for civil society is impacting grassroots women activists and leaders, and ultimately, sustainable development for women and girls. This panel discussion will address this discourse gap by bringing together diverse actors to discuss the specific restrictions and challenges women activists face and the impact these then have on women and girls’ equality, inclusion, and ability to participate in sustainable development.

Speakers:

• Robin Pierro, Communications Manager for the Fund for Global Human Rights   @robinpierro

• Liliana de Marco Coenen, Executive Director of Protection International      @LilianaDeMarcoC

• Zohra Moosa, Executive Director of Mama Cash    @zohramoosa

• Marusia López, Senior Associate, Power and Protection of Women Activists for Just Associates     @MarusiaLC

• James Savage, Programme Officer – Enabling Environment for Human Rights Defenders at the Fund for Global Human Rights   @jamesmsavage

• Meerim Ilyas, Senior Programme Officer for Urgent Action Fund   @MeerimKG

Follow the event:   Wednesday 6 June 10:45 to 12:00

On Social Media:

#EDD18 #shEDDs

@ProtectionInt 

@jass4justice 

@mamacash 

@FundHumanRights

@UrgentAct ‏ 

@FundHumanRights