Welcome our new members!
Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition is honored to welcome four new members: WALPE Africa and Via Serica!
The Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (WALPE Africa) is a feminist, pan-African women’s rights organization advancing a just and inclusive Africa where women excel in leadership at all levels for transformative local, national and regional development. WALPE works primarily in conflict-affected and fragile contexts, as well as countries undergoing electoral processes, where women leaders and women human rights defenders face heightened risks of violence, intimidation and exclusion.
Central to its work is protecting Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) who face systemic barriers to political participation. WALPE Africa runs targeted programmes that build their skills in conflict resolution, provide psycho-social support and establish response frameworks to violence. It campaigns against all forms of violence against women in leadership and democratic processes, including physical, psychological and technology-facilitated violence, while promoting a culture of care, inclusion and solidarity.
Via Serica is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing human rights, preserving endangered languages and cultures, and empowering marginalized communities across the Silk Road region. With a particular focus on the Sovereign Republic of Karakalpakstan and other underrepresented Indigenous communities around the world, Via Serica works to amplify silenced voices and promote justice, dignity, and self-determination.
Via Serica advocates for the safety and recognition of WHRDs who face harassment, intimidation, exile, and legal persecution in authoritarian contexts. The organization works to strengthen international solidarity and accountability mechanisms.
Together, these organisations bring invaluable expertise, experience, and perspectives from their communities, regions, and movements. We look forward to learning from one another, strengthening our collective solidarity, and advancing our shared vision of a world where all women human rights defenders exercise their agency without fear or violence, and where their movements thrive in building a more just, sustainable and equitable world.
We wish them a powerful journey with the Coalition, and are excited to build this next chapter together.
