WI-HER, LLC

Across the world, WI-HER partners with women human rights defenders to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, advance health outcomes, and ensure all people have opportunities to thrive. In every sector and in every approach, WI-HER centers human rights and the voices of women human rights defenders. Today, on International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, WI-HER applauds those who bravely strive to protect the lives and rights of women and girls, ultimately improving society for all. https://ow.ly/SJLH50UgJEL

"Supporting survivors of GBV, on a personal scale, starts with providing a safe space for them when they need it: not judging when survivors reach out multiple times, understanding that it takes courage to leave for good, and approaching survivors with sensitivity to their lived trauma. On a global scale, providing laws that protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable is important because it gives survivors the reassurance of safety." - Julie Wheeler, WI-HER Associate, Operations and Human Resources

This Thanksgiving, we are grateful for all our communities -- from our families to our work colleagues. Even when we are separated by miles, we are together in our collective vision for a more inclusive and just world.

USAID Integrated Health Program - Nigeria partner WI-HER conducted a series of desk reviews to identify gender and social inclusion issues affecting service quality, health care access, and health systems in Nigeria. WI-HER’s thorough review supports a better understanding of the health status of women, men, girls, and boys and the social, economic, and political factors that influence health outcomes, including gender inequalities. Read the Desk Reviews: https://lnkd.in/gQH9CHCp #16Days #EndGBV #HealthCare #SystemStrengthening

Addressing gender norms and engaging men and boys in conversations about norms is one critical step forward in working to end gender-based violence and supporting stronger families and communities. #16Days #EndGBV

Communities often overlook violence against boys and young men due to harmful gender norms: the expectation of their stoicism, stigma around male victimhood, normalization of male aggression, misconceptions about male vulnerability, homophobia, lack of male-specific support, pressure to "man up," and fear of reprisal. These norms silence boys and young men from openly discussing the violence they experience. If we want to create a society where everyone feels safe to seek help, heal, and be heard, we must promote respectful relationships and challenge harmful gender norms early on so that we can prevent violence, encourage boys to reject it, and reduce violence for a safer, inclusive world. World Vision South Asia Pacific #EndGBV #16Days #NoExcuse

How can we build powerful evidence to end violence against women? We encourage our fellow development practitioners to engage with the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum, an independent non-governmental organization focused on knowledge management around all aspects of violence against women and children. Throughout the #16Days campaign, they'll be sharing powerful evidence that can help foster long-term scalable solutions for structural change. https://lnkd.in/gbfZDt5V

Building partnerships and creating referral pathways with key stakeholders is key to improving health outcomes. Under USAID IHP, WI-HER worked with stakeholders at every level to improve Nigeria's response to gender-based violence. Here, a participant in one of our IHP sessions shared what she learned about gender, social inclusion, and gender-based violence: https://ow.ly/9nsw50Ufwbs #Partnershps #EndGBV #16DaysOfActivism

"Gender-based violence (GBV) impacts millions worldwide, disproportionately affecting women and girls. Raising awareness is essential, but we also need targeted programs to drive behavior change at the root causes. Engaging men and boys in conversations about respectful relationships and promoting inclusive, peaceful masculinities can shift harmful norms. Let's work together to build communities where everyone is safe to speak out against violence! By amplifying efforts like the recommendations for the United States Institute of Peace's (USIP) work with displaced communities, we go beyond raising awareness to mobilizing transformational change toward a future free of GBV." - Terrill Kucera, WI-HER Program Manager As we begin the #16Days of Activism Against GBV, we encourage you to learn about USIP's recommendations: https://lnkd.in/ggqwMfb9

Gender-based violence (GBV) isn't only physical. To better prevent GBV from occurring, it is critical to understand what it is so that we can better prevent it. GBV can be: 1) physical 2) sexual 3) emotional / psychological 4) economic 5) spiritual 6) cultural 7) neglect 8) verbal Learn more about identifying GBV and resources for support, as shared by WI-HER Founder Dr. Taroub Harb Faramand, MD, MPH: https://lnkd.in/gB3hyHg6 #16Days #EndGBV #NoExcuse