Through UNEA resolution, states can show their support for Women Environmental Rights Defenders

The Legal Resources Centre and Natural Justice call for the full adoption and strengthening of a UNEA resolution to protect women environmental rights defenders, noting that women face acute risks including sexual assault and discriminatory laws while defending land and territory.

• The Legal Resources Centre and Natural Justice argue that while the UNEA resolution to "Promote gender equality, and the human rights and empowerment of women and girls in environmental governance" is a positive step, it was weakened by states that refused universal support and requested text changes.
• Environmental and human rights defenders face extreme violence, with at least 312 murdered in 2018, 67 percent of whom were defending land and territory against extractive industries and big business.
• Women environmental defenders face specific, acute risks including intimidation, harassment, and sexual assault, and are disproportionately affected by climate change and resource extraction.
• State actors are identified as the primary opponents of environmental and human rights defenders, frequently using the criminalisation of their actions as a tool for suppression.
• The document highlights specific cases of violence against defenders, including the 2016 murder of Honduran activist Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores over a hydroelectric dam and the 2016 murder of South African activist Sikhosiphi “Bazooka” Rhadebe.

APA

Martens, C. (2019). Through UNEA resolution, states can show their support for Women Environmental Rights Defenders. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/statement-through-unea-resolution-states-can-show-their-support-for-women-environmental-rights-defenders/

Chicago

Martens, Claire. Through UNEA resolution, states can show their support for Women Environmental Rights Defenders. Natural Justice, 2019. https://naturaljustice.org/statement-through-unea-resolution-states-can-show-their-support-for-women-environmental-rights-defenders/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Martens |first1=Claire |title=Through UNEA resolution, states can show their support for Women Environmental Rights Defenders |publisher=Natural Justice |date=13 March 2019 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/statement-through-unea-resolution-states-can-show-their-support-for-women-environmental-rights-defenders/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{martens2019through, author = {Martens, Claire}, title = {{Through UNEA resolution, states can show their support for Women Environmental Rights Defenders}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/statement-through-unea-resolution-states-can-show-their-support-for-women-environmental-rights-defenders/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }