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Andrea Bolanos

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RFLD Welcomes Andrea Bolaños Vargas – New UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders

Women's Rights

April 21, 2026 Africa

RFLD Welcomes Andrea Bolaños Vargas – New UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders

Andrea Bolaños Vargas has been appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders at a crucial time when repression against women activists is intensifying. A Colombian political science graduate with significant experience in human rights, her work emphasizes migration and gender issues. As the fifth rapporteur since 2000, her role is vital in a global context marked by shrinking civic space and the criminalization of dissent, particularly targeting Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs). Organizations like RFLD express their support for her mandate, emphasizing the importance of protecting women who challenge patriarchal systems and advocating for actionable frameworks for justice.

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For funders and partnersPour les bailleurs et les partenaires

Fund the women who defend rights in Africa, nowFinancez maintenant les femmes qui défendent les droits en Afrique

Aid to women’s organisations is falling. RFLD moves funding fast to women-led organisations and defenders, in French and English, through a network of 1,143 member organisations in more than 35 African countries.L’aide aux organisations de femmes recule. Le RFLD achemine vite les financements vers les organisations de femmes et les défenseures, en français et en anglais, grâce à un réseau de 1 143 organisations membres dans plus de 35 pays africains.

RFLD currently serves as Co-Chair of the SEA-T Programme Advisory Council, mandated to ensure the programme’s direction, priorities, and resources are meaningfully aligned with the visions of African women-led civil society. The SEA-T Programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.Le RFLD assure actuellement la coprésidence du Conseil consultatif du programme SEA-T, chargé de veiller à ce que l’orientation, les priorités et les ressources du programme soient réellement alignées sur les visions de la société civile africaine portée par les femmes. Le programme SEA-T est financé par le ministère fédéral allemand de la Coopération économique et du Développement (BMZ) et mis en œuvre par la Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. See the partnershipVoir le partenariat

1,143member organisationsorganisations membres
35+African countriespays africains
N°553ACHPR observer statusstatut d’observateur CADHP
CandidSeal of Transparency 2025Sceau de transparence 2025

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