As part of events to mark International Democracy Day which fell on 15th September, the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network(WADEMOS) in collaboration with the Gender Center for Empowering Development (GENCED) will outdoor a report titled, “The situation of Human Rights Defenders in West Africa.”
The report provides insight into the triumphs and the challenges of human rights defenders leading up to the prevailing state of affairs in West Africa and more specifically, the ECOWAS subregion.
In spite of remarkable milestones chalked in recent times, the human rights defender faces an uphill battle in the face of growing intimidation, silencing and repression of civic actors and rights defenders across West Africa especially in Nigeria, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea-Bissau.
The report explores the lapses and opportunities for the enhancement of human rights across West Africa and provides appropriate recommendations for enhancing human rights and the civic space in the wake of the deepening democratic regression currently underway in the subregion.
It is an opportunity to reflect on the trajectory of human rights across West Africa over the past decade and deliberate on ways to defend it against emerging threats as we look to sustain and strengthen democracy and human rights across the subregion.
International Day of Democracy is celebrated annually around the world to strengthen democracies and highlight their values and principles.
Democracy is a form of government that functions with the equal participation of all citizens of a country.