(Geneva, 12 September 2013) - Women human rights defenders play a critical role in the ability of the Human Rights Council to integrate a gender perspective into its work, and therefore must be protected, the International Service for Human Rights has said today.

(Geneva, 12 September 2013) - Women human rights defenders play a critical role in the ability of the Human Rights Council to integrate a gender perspective into its work, and therefore must be protected, the International Service for Human Rights has said today.

In its statement to the Human Rights Council, ISHR has welcomed an annual discussion on gender integration and the role of civil society, during the Council’s 24th session currently being held in Geneva. ISHR said women human rights defenders play a crucial role in highlighting and challenging gender inequalities, and have enabled the Council to increasingly consider gender in its responses.

However, ISHR said, women defenders can be targeted because of their gender as well as the nature of their human rights work. The frequent impunity around such violations enables gender discrimination and violence to continue, and causes women defenders to fear reprisals.

A stronger Council response is needed to the issue of reprisals against women defenders, said the statement. ISHR calls on the Human Rights Council to use its mechanisms to ensure regular reporting and monitoring of the violations faced by women human rights defenders, and to ensure accountability for such violations through sustained, high-level follow up of cases.