PBI-United Kingdom organizes photo exhibit on women human rights defenders for March 8, International Women’s Day

On March 2, Peace Brigades International-United Kingdom tweeted, “Celebrate #InternationalWomensDay2020 by learning about some of the inspiring women we work with!”

The event page for an IWD event in Lewes (about 90 kilometres south of London) highlights, “Photographs of Women Human Rights Defenders, from Lawyers to Indigenous Grassroots Organisers, on loan to us from Peace Brigades International, will be on display throughout the day with their accompanying stories and we have an exclusive showing of a short film directed by Manu Valcarce.”

PBI-UK notes, “This exhibition presents portraits of six women human rights defenders from three countries in Latin America where PBI is active.”

“They are involved in different forms of struggle: defending their land from exploitation by international corporations, demanding justice for victims of disappearance, fighting for LGBT rights or working as lawyers to support indigenous communities.”

PBI-UK adds, “The photos come with extracts from interviews in which the women talked about their work and the dangers they face and expressed their commitment to the struggles they are involved in.”

The six defenders featured are:

– Esdra Yaveth, a co-ordinator of LITOS in the Arcoíris (Rainbow) LGTB Association of Honduras;

– Felipa, an activist with ASODEBICOQ – Association for the Defence of the Communal Wealth of Quimistan in Honduras;

– Maricela Vazquez, a lawyer working for the Paso del Norte Human Rights Centre in Mexico;

– Yaneth Bautista, the director of the Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation for Human Rights in Colombia;

– Sandra Alarcon, a human rights lawyer with the Tlachinolan Human Rights Centre in Mexico;

– Lilian Borjas, secretary of the regional office of the National Union of Rural Workers (CNTC) in Honduras.

All of these organizations are accompanied by PBI.

As PBI-UK further explains, “Peace Brigades International provides direct protection and support to human rights defenders to keep them alive and help their activism thrive. International volunteers accompany at-risk activists in a visible display of solidarity which deters violent attacks.”

“This is reinforced by advocacy work at all levels. PBI’s activities help create favourable security, policy and political environments in which defenders can carry out their work, as well as building networks that can be mobilised at short notice to provide much needed support.”

To learn more about the work of PBI-UK, please visit their website here.