Banjul, The Gambia — July 23, 2025 — The African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), with support from the Ford Foundation, will convene a Validation Meeting for the Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) Report on Thursday, 24th July 2025 in Banjul, The Gambia.
This expert meeting will bring together key human rights defenders, especially women, as well as civil society organizations, state actors, and development partners to review and validate the findings of the WHRD report. The gathering follows a series of significant developments in collaboration with the Ford Foundation over the past year. In light of these advancements, there is a strong need to review and align the report with the current realities and challenges faced by WHRDs across the region.
The validation exercise is part of ongoing efforts to ensure that the final report reflects the lived experiences and strategic recommendations from grassroots to national levels. Once adopted, the final version of the report will be shared with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights as part of collective regional advocacy to better protect, recognize, and empower women human rights defenders.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Ellen Ann, Admin Officer at csec@acdhrs.org
Pa Modou Cham, Comms & Info at infocom@acdhrs.org
Hannah Forster (Mrs)
Executive Director
ACDHRS
