This call for pitches concept note was originally published by GenderIT.org.
Global anecdotes and research studies suggest that trends of violence and violations of human rights are growing online and offline across geographies as social, political, economic and cultural inequalities worsen, leading to increased violations of human rights. As a result, many activists and human rights defenders find it necessary to speak up for and stand up with marginalised communities and individuals to demand protection of the rights and interests of the vulnerable from those in power. Consequently, these activists and defenders are subjected to unprecedented abuse that is increasingly manifesting in forms of extreme violence. While this aggression is indiscriminate, women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are the most impacted due to the nature of the attacks they face, which are, more often than not, intimate in nature, weaponising aspects of their private lives, with repercussions not only on their work but also on their personal well-being.
From state and non-state violence during protests on the streets to coordinated campaigns to discredit their activism on public platforms including the internet, mainstream media and public engagements, the violence has evolved into forms that are previously unseen, leading to personal and professional repercussions that laws either deliberately fail to acknowledge or are unprepared to cater to. As a result, the legislative framework continues to be inadequate to protect not just the WHRDs but also the communities that these defenders stand up for, making the violence nuanced and the implications multilayered.
Given the severity of the violence that WHRDs endure, it is evident that they have increasingly become a vulnerable group, even as they continue to defend others facing violence. This violence has manifested in various forms, including but not limited to self-censorship, adopting pro-government narratives, taking a “two-sides” approach to a conflict in public conversations, and/or completely leaving activism and human rights work in hopes that the violence will die down. As a result, documentation of this violence and its impact is tricky, owing to the multifaceted nature of the abuse and its manifestations.
With this context, it is important that the experiences of violence are narrated, not only the ones that marginalised communities face on a daily basis that WHRDs work to document, highlight and work to counter, but also the kind faced by WHRDs as they highlight the challenges of the communities they work with.
It is crucial that these experiences are narrated by those on the ground who are protecting and defending the human rights of the most vulnerable around us. The Safety for Voices (SfV) consortium, which includes organisations and individuals representing the Global Majority region, is inviting WHRDs from the Asia Pacific, Africa, MENA and Latin America to share their stories of not just fighting back and being resilient, but also of being vulnerable in situations that threatened their personhood and questioned their commitment to defend human rights.
We are looking for 20 WHRDs to contribute personal essays and stories to an anthology focused on documenting and highlighting their resilience, challenges and triumphs in the face of threats from state and societal actors. The stories will be in the voices of the WHRDs, documented as personal essays, poems, in short and long form, spoken or written – we are not bound by format.
- Short form essays: 1,000-1,500 words
- Long form essays: 2,500-3,000 words
- Poems: As required
- Illustrations: Six frames
- Video: 10 minutes
Some themes to get you thinking around:
- Conflict and wars
- Intersection of tech-based violence with physical violence; incitement to violence online and physical violence, and their personal and profession impact (physical, mental, psychological)
- State surveillance and failure of legal systems
- Engagement with big tech: Lack of response, failure to stop promotion of violence
- Leaving spaces: Violence forcing defenders to leave spaces because of the violence
- Stories of resilience: Fighting back against disinformation or other violence; communities coming up with solutions.
The following structure of a formal publication will be followed;
Publication structure
SECTION 1: BRAVE BEGINNINGS: NARRATIVES OF RESILIENCE
Chapter 1: The journey begins: Threats and dangers faced during the initial stages of activism, motivations, early challenges, and awakening to the dangers.
Chapter 2: The weight of fear: Personal fear, anxiety, threats to physical safety, emotional stress, and psychological toll.
SECTION 2: THE DIGITAL FRONTIER
Chapter 3: The digital shadow: Impact of state surveillance, doxxing and other data and identity theft related attacks on safety of WHRDs
Chapter 4: Keyboard warriors and web of lies: The cost of digital hate campaigns
SECTION 3: OF IDENTITIES AND INTERSECTIONS
Chapter 5: From the margins: Voices of women who don't get/want seats at the table
SECTION 4: POWER STRUGGLES
Chapter 6: In the courts and corridors of power: Stories of being persecuted through law and policies of the state
Chapter 7: In exile: Stories of women being forced to live in exile
SECTION 5: IMAGINARIES
Chapter 8: Dreamscapes for a safer tomorrow: WHRDs share their creative, imaginative aspirations and dreams for a future where their work leads to lasting societal change.
The publication will also be paired with a set of creative outputs that can include illustrations, audio podcasts or interactive digital exhibits launched on the websites/social media of Safety for Voices (SfV), Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and GenderIT.org.
Each contributor will receive compensation between USD 300 and 600 for their contribution to this anthology, which will be sent to them upon submission of their final draft.
Deadline for submission of pitches is Tuesday, 18 March 2025.
If this is something you find interesting and would like to contribute to, we would be very happy to hear from you. Please write to Nadine Moawad at n.moawad@gmail.com with your expressions of interest.
Here’s a suggested format for your expression of interest:
- Your introduction: What do you do, where are you from, what kind of human rights work have you done/been doing and in which country?
- Your experience: Explain what kind of violence you have experienced, and what you would like to talk about in your essay.
- Any online links: Has your violence been reported in any media? Was it spoken about online? (We understand that the nature of violence varies in every case and many experiences don’t make it online or into media coverage, so this question is not mandatory, but it will help us understand your experience and violence better, if such context exists.)
- Preferred format and section for the contribution: Which format and section out of the ones listed above would you like to contribute your story in?
- Your commitment: How long would you need to prepare the first draft of your essay?
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.