Distinguished Commissioners, dear colleagues, dear friends,

It is an honor to join you today as we mark the International Day of Women Human Rights Defenders. This day is not only a commemoration—it is a call to action, a reminder, and a moral duty. It reminds us that the struggle for human rights, equality, and democracy is carried every day on the shoulders of women who stand on the frontlines, often unprotected, often unheard, yet always unyielding.
Today, we gather under a theme of deep urgency:
Defending democracy and the rule of law in times of global instability.
And indeed, the world is facing instability on a scale we have not seen in decades.

Across continents, authoritarianism is rising.
Freedom of expression is shrinking.
Digital surveillance is expanding.
War, occupation, and displacement are increasing.
The climate crisis is accelerating conflict and deepening inequality.
And around the globe, democratic backsliding has become a defining feature of our time.
In this environment, human rights defenders—especially women—face unprecedented danger.
They are prosecuted in courts that deny them justice.
Defamed in media that distorts their courage.
Harassed online by armies of trolls and digital mercenaries.
And targeted in the streets by militias and security forces who fear the power of their voice.
From Venezuela’s opposition leaders, to Myanmar’s pro-democracy activists, to women in Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine, and countless other nations—women are carrying the moral weight of resistance against tyranny.
They do so knowing the risks.
Yet they continue.
Because they understand a truth that authoritarians cannot comprehend:
A nation cannot be free unless its women are free.

Democracy and the rule of law are not maintained by constitutions alone.
They are not maintained by institutions alone.
They are protected and sustained by people—by moral courage—by those willing to speak truth to power.
Women human rights defenders are the guardians of democracy.
They expose corruption.
They document crimes.
They defend survivors.
They mobilize communities.
They confront dictatorships.
They challenge extremist ideologies.
They demand justice for those the world forgets.
They do not only protect rights;
they protect the possibility of a future where rule of law is real, not symbolic.
But they cannot do it alone.
And they should never be left to face repression alone.

The EDVAW Platform has repeatedly warned the world of an alarming trend:
gender-based reprisals against women defenders are increasing.
Women are:
•    targeted with sexualized violence because of their activism;
•    discredited as “foreign agents,” “traitors,” or “immoral”;
•    criminalized under counterterrorism laws;
•    silenced by online harassment and surveillance technologies;
•    forced into exile;
•    and in many cases, murdered.
These attacks are not random.
They are strategic.
They are intentional.
Because authoritarians understand that silencing women defenders weakens society itself.
To defend democracy today, we must defend the women who defend it.

This is not a struggle of one region—it is a shared global fight.
•    In the Middle East, women risk their lives exposing war crimes, occupations, and militias.
•    In Africa, they document atrocities in Sudan, Congo, and the Sahel.
•    In Latin America, they confront state violence, femicide, and organized crime.
•    In Asia, they resist military coups, religious extremism, and repression.
•    Even in established democracies, women activists face lawsuits, smear campaigns, and digital abuse designed to silence dissent.
This global crisis demands global solidarity.

As we reflect today, let us reaffirm the urgent steps needed to protect women defenders:
1.    Strengthen national and international protection mechanisms
Including emergency visas, rapid response systems, and safe houses for defenders at risk.
2.    Hold states accountable
Governments must not be allowed to use national security or anti-terrorism laws to criminalize women advocating for justice.
3.    Combat online violence and digital authoritarianism
Tech companies must be pressed to regulate harassment, hate speech, and coordinated attacks targeting women.
4.    Ensure women’s full participation in political and public life
Because exclusion is the first step toward authoritarianism.
5.    Address the root causes of repression
including occupation, dictatorship, corruption, impunity, and economic inequality.
6.    Protect civic space
Without free media, free association, and independent judiciary, human rights defenders cannot operate.
7.    Build cross-regional solidarity networks
The strength of global democracy depends on the strength of our collective voice.

As someone who has lived through dictatorship, revolution, war, and exile, I know the cost of defending rights.
I know the price women pay to challenge tyranny.
And I know the loneliness that many feel when the world refuses to see their struggles.
But I also know this:
Our courage is stronger than their violence.
Our voices are louder than their weapons.
Our solidarity is more powerful than their repression.
We are not defending democracy alone.
We are defending the future of humanity.

Today, on the International Day of Women Human Rights Defenders, let us be clear:
The fight for democracy is the fight for human dignity.
The fight for the rule of law is the fight for equality.
The fight of women defenders is the fight of the world.
Let us honor them with more than words.
Let us honor them with protection, accountability, solidarity, and action.
Because without women defenders, there is no democracy.
Without democracy, there is no justice.
And without justice, there can be no peace.
Thank you.