On Tuesday, October 28, in Washington, D.C., the Center for Reproductive Rights and three other human rights organizations appeared before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights at a hearing to discuss women's rights defenders across the hemisphere.  The Commission is a key human rights body that works to hold states across the Americas accountable to their human rights obligations.  Over the past several years, it has emphasized the important role women's rights defenders play in the realization of human rights and the special risks and vulnerabilities they face.  Some women's rights defenders are targeted because of their gender, making them more vulnerable to certain types of attacks such as sexual violence.  Others, like Jen Boulanger, the executive director of Allentown's Women's Center, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, are targeted for the work they do in defending women's rights, such as advocating for and providing reproductive healthcare services.

Jen submitted testimony about the constant targeting of the Allentown Women's Center and its employees by the anti-abortion movement.  Women's rights defenders from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, México, Nicaragua, and Perú also testified about the risks they face in their work, promoting women's sexual and reproductive rights, protecting women from violence, and fighting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.  Testimony and documentation presented at the hearing demonstrated how women's rights defenders throughout the hemisphere have faced similar kinds of violations, including attacks on their personal safety, threats against their families, smear campaigns, and government restrictions on their work.   

Each testimony looked at the need for governments to recognize the importance of women's rights defenders in upholding fundamental human rights such as dignity, liberty, and equality.  To that end, they urged the Commission to encourage governments to adopt and enforce strong measures to improve their safety and to eliminate policies and laws that impede their work.  As Jen Boulanger explained in her written testimony, "Currently there are no attempts to prevent violence at our clinic.  Police are called at least once per week to maintain order, but there is no deterrent for unlawful behavior--no punishment, no legal action." When Jen turned to the city for help in resolving ongoing threats, public officials refused to help.  Their explanation?  If the clinic chooses to offer abortion services, providers should expect to face threats and intimidation from anti-abortion extremists--in other words, it comes with the territory.  One solution Jen proposed is to re-activate the national task force for clinic violence prevention established under U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno but long dormant under the Bush administration.  The task force would greatly improve coordination of law enforcement at the federal and local levels, providing local police the tools and funding they need to effectively prevent violence.  Her recommendation mirrored those of other defenders who called for an end to impunity for violations against women's rights defenders.  For example, Colombian defenders asked the Commission to pressure Colombia to investigate and punish those who attack women trade unionists, and transgender rights activists in Costa Rica sought accountability for consistent discrimination and violence they endure from law enforcement.

Jen and the other human rights activists know that going to the Commission is only the first step in raising awareness about the important role of women's rights defenders in building the larger culture of human rights.  But unless defenders are safe and able to do their jobs, women will continue to be denied their basic human rights, including their rights to equality, to be free from violence and to access reproductive health care including abortion. Working collaboratively with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, the Commission has worked successfully to monitor trends of violations against human rights defenders and make appropriate recommendations to states on how to improve their systems of rights protection.  By following these international recommendations about how best to defend the defenders of human rights, the U.S. can send a strong statement about its commitment to ensuring reproductive rights as fundamental human rights.  Providers of women's reproductive rights in the United States deserve not only our gratitude and respect but also a legal framework that protects their security and allows them to do their jobs.  The first step is to recognize them as women's rights defenders.