Focus AreasIn 2007, the International Women's Program sought to increase advocacy campaigns, policy initiatives, and strategic litigation to promote the human rights of women who face multiple forms of discrimination. Initiatives supported by IWP expose rights abuses, inform public policy debates, amplify voices of women experiencing multiple discriminations, and strategically engage and educate relevant stakeholders.
The following are a sample of IWP-supported initiatives:
Advancing the Rights of Lesbians in South Africa
South Africa is the fifth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, and set an international precedent in its post-apartheid constitution outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, homosexuality remains taboo, and lesbians continue to be vulnerable to violence in their communities. In 2007, the International Women's Program supported the Forum for the Empowerment of Women, in Johannesburg, to advance the rights and address the needs of black lesbians. Through its Lesbian Action Research Project, the forum will document and analyze lesbian realities and rights violations, and carry out a nationwide mass-media campaign to advance their rights.
Helping Women Disabled by Landmines in Cambodia
Landmines are among the leading causes of disability in Cambodia, particularly affecting women in poor, rural communities. The International Women's Program supported the Working Group for Weapons Reduction to meet the needs of women disabled by landmines in the country. The group aims to bring government attention to disabled women’s human rights and strengthen community efforts to eliminate discrimination against disabled women.
Protecting Human Rights for "Untouchables" in Nepal
The fundamental human rights of Dalits, or “untouchables,” are ignored in much of South Asia, where they experience triple discrimination on the basis of class, caste, and gender. The disproportionate impact of Nepal’s ongoing conflict on Dalit women has yet to receive sufficient attention, as they continue to be victims of systematic abuse, torture, sexual violence and killing. The International Women's Program supported one of Nepal’s leading NGOs, the Feminist Dalit Organization, in promoting Dalit women's human rights and combating caste and gender discrimination. The organization's plans include launching a public education campaign on discrimination and violence against Dalit women, filing petitions on cases of violence against Dalit women in district administration offices and providing legal support to victims, and organizing rights-based trainings for women’s NGOs on Nepal’s legal provisions and remedies.
