This year marks a powerful milestone for our movements. The Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC) and two of our members - the Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders (IM-Defensoras) and the Coalition of Women Human Rights Defenders in the SWANA region (WHRD MENA) - are celebrating their 20th, 15th, and 10th anniversaries.

Amid rising attacks on WHRDs and a world marked by violent policies, exclusion, war crimes, genocide, hate, and intentional fragmentation, we believe now more than ever in the power of coalitions. As WHRDs and as movements built by and for WHRDs, we remind each other - and our members, allies, and partners - of the urgency of standing together, especially in these times.

On September 26th, our three coalitions hosted a joint reception in Geneva entitled “Louder, Angrier and Stronger Together.” The gathering honored our shared herstories and amplified the voices of WHRDs across the globe. Guests engaged with stories of WHRDs unjustly imprisoned for their activism, writing letters of solidarity to them. Stories from Gaza and Sudan were featured in the room, alongside moments of remembrance where participants lit candles for defenders who are no longer with us. Together, in the context of a campaign and invitation launched by IM-Defensoras, we also imagined “Radical care in a Burning World” through collective drawings.

The event marked the conclusion of the “Women Human Rights Defenders WHRD Advocacy Week” co-organised by ISHR, WHRDIC, WHRD MENA, IM-Defensoras, Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, Peace Brigades International, AWID, JASS, and Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism.

For 20 years, WHRDIC has been in solidarity with WHRDs around the world. During this period, coalitions of women human rights defenders have emerged, focusing on care, recognition, and protection. For 15 years, IM-Defensoras has promoted Feminist Holistic Protection for women human rights defenders in Mesoamerica. For 10 years, WHRD MENA has been supporting WHRDs across the SWANA region. 

These anniversaries are not just markers of survival—they are testaments of resistance. They call us to weave our solidarities even more tightly, to strengthen our communities, and to fuel our collective resistance and hope in the face of relentless crises.

#WHRDIC20 #IMD15 #WHRDMENA10