"International Women Human Rights Defenders Day : Meet These 8 Exceptional Women", 29 November 2021

November 29 is globally recognised as International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. As the name suggests, the day is used to celebrate women who invest themselves in defending the human rights and rights of women and LGBTQI across the world. The day also recognises the efforts of the States that to defend women’s rights.

The date of the inception of the day is contested. Some websites mention that it started in 2004 while others say the day is being celebrated since 2006 starting from Bangkok. This day is a salutation to women activists across the world. It is because of the efforts of these women activists, fondly known as Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs), that we exercise or human rights freely and without any hesitation. If you are free to vote, speak up, contest elections, march in protests and seek education and employment, we should be thankful to the activists who never gave up on protecting women’s rights...

[W]omen to defend our rights are at great risk of being deprived of their own rights. In 2015, a report by The Guardian revealed that human rights activists are constantly being targeted around the world... A s far as India is concerned the major reason for the unaddressed issues of women is their lack of representation in law and government. The representation of women in the Indian judiciary dwindles at 12% which is lower than in Afghanistan (27.6 %). India ranks at 146th in women’s representation in the national Parliament. In Lok Sabha, only 14 per cent of seats belong to women...