Women Lead Global Solidarity Efforts as Harassment and Violence Threaten at Work

“Women are demonstrating extraordinary leadership in building more inclusive, just and peaceful societies,” Bailliet said.

Women are building movements across borders to defend human rights, protect the environment and push for peace, often in places where inequality is deepening and democratic freedoms are weakening. Their work brings people together around shared struggles, even as those leading it face threats that can force them out of public life.

In a report to the UN General Assembly, Cecilia Bailliet, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, calls for greater recognition and protection of women leading these efforts. She describes their contribution to more inclusive societies and the political, legal and economic barriers that prevent many from participating freely.

Threats are pushing women out of public life

"Women are demonstrating extraordinary leadership in building more inclusive, just and peaceful societies," Bailliet said.

That leadership often carries a personal cost. Women involved in solidarity work face harassment, surveillance, smear campaigns, online abuse, criminalisation and violence, creating pressure that reaches into their professional lives and their ability to speak openly.

The report describes anti-gender mobilisation contributing to self-censorship, with targeted women leaving politics, journalism, academia and advocacy. When threats make continued participation too dangerous, the loss extends beyond the individual to the communities and causes they represent.

Bailliet warns that women's political, legal and economic disempowerment is so extensive that it may itself be considered a threat to peace.

"States should recognise, support and learn from women's efforts, rather than allowing shrinking civic space and discrimination to undermine them," she said.

Equality on paper leaves gaps in everyday protection

Legal guarantees of equality exist in many countries, but women still encounter serious obstacles when seeking justice. Insufficient legal aid can leave them without the support needed to bring a case, and ineffective remedies for discrimination can leave the harm they experience unresolved.

Restrictions on civic participation also limit women's ability to challenge unfair treatment and influence decisions affecting their lives. The report draws attention to the distance between having rights recognised in law and being able to exercise them in practice.

Women-led solidarity movements respond to these conditions through approaches grounded in care, mutual support and shared responsibility. Their work recognises that people depend on one another, making that interdependence a foundation for fairer and more sustainable societies.

Across regions and sectors, these initiatives contribute to human rights protection, sustainable development, gender equality and stronger communities. Bailliet celebrates their capacity to bring about social change through collective action and support.

Protection and a stronger voice in decisions

The Independent Expert called on governments to strengthen international solidarity networks and support women's equal participation in decision-making, giving them a meaningful role in shaping the policies and institutions that affect their futures.

Her recommendations include better access to justice, action against online violence and harassment, and protection mechanisms for women activists. Women facing persecution must also be able to seek asylum.

These measures would address pressures that can silence women or drive them away from their work, helping sustain movements already contributing to peace and community resilience.

"At a time in which militarism, conflict and exploitation continue to threaten human rights, women's solidarity movements offer powerful alternatives rooted in equality, care and peace," Bailliet said.

She called on the international community to renew approaches that challenge oppression and expand people's freedom, ensuring women can fully participate in shaping the future for both present and coming generations.