{"id":54727,"date":"2026-06-18T13:16:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T17:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equitas.org\/?p=54727"},"modified":"2026-06-18T13:31:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T17:31:33","slug":"strengthening-the-safety-and-resilience-of-human-rights-defenders-in-east-and-the-horn-of-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equitas.org\/strengthening-the-safety-and-resilience-of-human-rights-defenders-in-east-and-the-horn-of-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening the Safety and Resilience of Human Rights Defenders in East and the Horn of Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Human rights defenders around the world face increasing repression, including surveillance, judicial harassment, and violence:\u00a0<\/h4>

In the past\u00a014 months, Equitas trained 164 human rights defenders from 40 countries.\u00a0Nearly one\u00a0in three faced threats, surveillance, physical violence, or the targeting of their families, yet\u00a0not a single one\u00a0stopped their work.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4><\/blockquote>

Across East and the Horn of Africa, where civic space is increasingly restricted, these challenges are often compounded for women, youth, and LGBTQI+ activists. One lesson has\u00a0emerged\u00a0clearly from Equitas’ work with defenders in the region:\u00a0<\/span>protection is not only individual,\u00a0but also\u00a0collective.\u00a0Strong networks, partnerships, and support systems help human rights defenders continue their work despite growing risks.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

To help strengthen this collective resilience,\u00a0<\/span>Equitas convened the East and Horn of Africa Holistic Security Online Forum on May 26, 2026<\/span><\/b>, bringing together defenders from across the region to exchange experiences, learn from one another, and explore collective approaches to protection and well-being.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A holistic approach<\/span>\u00a0to protection<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>

Human rights defenders face a range of interconnected challenges that can affect their safety, well-being, and ability to sustain their work\u00a0over time. Recognizing these realities,<\/span>\u00a0the forum adopted a holistic security approach that considers the physical, digital, and psychosocial dimensions of protection.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The\u00a0objective\u00a0was not only to\u00a0identify\u00a0challenges, but also to create a collaborative\u00a0safe\u00a0space where participants could share experiences, learn from one another, and\u00a0<\/span>contribute to the development of regional guidelines on holistic security.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The forum was\u00a0facilitated\u00a0by\u00a0alumni of the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>East Africa Human Rights\u00a0Training Program<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0with support from Equitas staff,<\/span>\u00a0reflecting\u00a0our\u00a0commitment to strengthening local leadership and peer learning networks.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Understanding the challenges<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>

Participants\u00a0identified\u00a0three recurring challenges affecting human rights defenders across the region:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>