The #Feminists4BindingTreaty collective, women human rights defenders, and the UN talks starting on October 26

Photo: Maria Josefina Caal Xol

The Feminists for a Binding Treaty (F4BT) collective has been highlighting the need to address key issues pertaining to women’s rights and corporate abuses in the proposed United Nations Binding Treaty on transnational corporations and human rights.

Their core demands include mandatory gender impact assessments of business operations; gender sensitive justice and remedy mechanisms; and ensuring respect, protection, and an enabling environment for women human rights defenders (WHRDs).

A major report from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has stated: “There have been numerous examples of gender-based violence directed against environmental defenders and activists, who try to stop the destruction or degradation of their land, natural resources and communities.”

That report adds: “Violence against WEHRDs in the public and private sector is interlinked with and rooted in social, economic and political power relations, including gender discrimination, an unequal division of labour, and pre-existing levels of violence.”

And Global Witness has noted: “Over 1 in 10 defenders killed in 2019 were women. Women who act and speak out may also face gender-specific threats, including sexual violence. If other members of their household are defenders, they can become targeted too.”

The F4BT collective has called for meaningful due diligence and highlighted that the gender impacts of corporate abuse are still largely overlooked.

Their October 2019 analysis on the revised draft of the Treaty highlights that the preamble should: “recall the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders; connect the role of human rights defenders with a corresponding State duty to ensure enabling environments; elucidate the context for the elaboration of the Instrument, including the reality of continuing business-related human rights violations and abuses and the need for the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the development of a robust regulatory framework.”

The Canadian government has committed itself to pursuing a feminist foreign policy, but has been largely absent from the process for the Binding Treaty so far.

The next negotiating round on the Binding Treaty will take place October 26-30.

To send an email to the Prime Minister and Canada’s representatives at the United Nations before this next negotiating round, please click here.