Women Human Rights Defenders Endure Four Horrendous Abuses As Targeted Individuals

A life of defending human rights comes with the risk of public abuse through intimidation, defamation, violence, and imprisonment. A woman human rights defender, however, risks and often experienced four specific abuses, some easily seen in comments when the defender is a reporter.  According to Civil Rights Defenders, one leading female rights defender has recently become targeted for such a abuse, typical albeit painfully experiences in the life of targeted individuals.

Women human rights defenders risk four specific abuses. Each of these are typical to targeted individuals. Each are inked to her integrity and sexuality. Each has the objective of demonizing, creating rumors and discrediting their work for the over-arching goal of silencing her.

One of the latest women to fall victim to a “dirty” smear campaign intent on subjecting her to public vilification is Vanja Calovic from Montenegro, a Natalia bracelet bearer and Director of MANS, a human rights organization.

As the leading anti-corruption defender in Montenegro, her tireless struggle against organized crime and misuse of state funds has made her a constant target by state authorities. An estimated ten thousand Montenegrins gathered in the capital Podgorica in 2012 to protest widespread corruption.  The crowd called on the government to protect interests of the people instead of corrupt officials and business tycoons.

The protest, with its slogan, “It is time,” was co-organized by the Network for Affirmation of the Nongovernment Sector  (MANS), the Free Trade Unions and the Students’ Union. It was one of the largest anti-corruption protests to take place in Montenegro since its separation from Serbia in 2006. Among the concerns expressed by the protesters were the low standard of living, corruption, organized crime, and shady privatization deals.

“The Montenegrin spring has arrived,” said Vanja Calovic, head of MANS, affiliated with Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

This June, Calovic was exposed in the Montenegrin newspaper, The Informer. The paper published offensive sexual images taken from a random video and claimed that they portrayed Vanja. Its publication was a deliberate attempt to compromise her personal and professional integrity.

At a press conference shortly after the article was published, MANS denied the false pictures and Vanja Calovic stated “this was the dirtiest smear campaign ever in Montenegro’s history and that this was the ruling party’s way to seek revenge for MANS work.”

What started the smear campaign? According to MANS, it was a direct result of their recent publishing of several reports and recordings proving the ruling party have abused their power and misused state funds.

Afterwards, Prime Minister Milo Đukanović commented on it in Parliament. Instead of condemning the event, however, he urged authorities to investigate whether the sex video was authentic.

“The on-going smear campaign towards Vanja Calovic is a clear example of how authorities attempt to silence women human rights defenders.

“Its publication was a deliberate attempt to compromise her personal and professional integrity,” Civil Rights Defender reports.

Four Common Threats Against Women Human Rights Defenders

Threats against women take different forms of expression than threats against men. This was confirmed by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, who in her Annual Report 2011 described the situation women human rights defenders face.

Sekaggya’s analysis is that women are at a greater risk than men regarding specific forms of violence and abuse. These violations are linked to traditions, norms and perceptions about how women should behave in a society. Civil Rights Defenders website lists the following four abuses against women human rights defenders:

1. Family members, relatives and men threaten them. These threats are often linked to traditional views of women’s roles in society and the work they do. “Often it is considered that their work embarrasses the family and relatives and goes against traditional values,” says Civil Rights Defenders.

2. Public vilification linked to integrity and sexuality. It is common for women to be branded online and in media regarding their sexuality. The perpetrators’ objective is to lie, spread false rumors, demonize and discredit for the principle their goal of silencing truth.

3. Threats of sexual violence. These threats are often carried out both quietly and publicly. Rape is more stigmatised in repressive traditional societies and can severely damage a woman’s reputation. Women are also far more likely to be exposed to sexual violence than men during physical and psychological attacks.

4. Threats against the family. This is viewed as an efficient method to silence women. It is also used against men but family bonds in many cultures are more strongly linked to women, who are expected to put their family’s safety above their own.

“When we plan protection efforts, it is important to address the specific threats and risks that women in particular are exposed to”, says Robert Hårdh Director of Civil Rights Defenders.