Women Human Rights Defenders in Zimbabwe 3 This unfortunate status is also heavily influenced by history, with some of the state institutions at the forefront of perpetuating violence against women being male dominated. This has reinforced the negative stereotypes and the prevalence of aggressive masculinities institutionalised in security structures. As a result, women HRDs have to prove their competencies to their male counterparts, leaving them with divided capacity to fully and effectively advocate for promotion and protection of their rights and freedoms. Women HRDs continue to some extent to suffer from inequalities and other gender based discriminations. 1.2 Human Rights framework supporting women HRDs Zimbabwe has ratified numerous human rights instruments from the African and United Nations human rights architecture. It has also voluntarily become party to notable instruments and guiding principles from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Instruments that specifically protect the rights of women include the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women3 and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. The international human rights framework not only protects human rights, but also particularly recognises the special protection needs of women. Consequently, there are a number of human rights instruments that seek to protect the rights of women at the United Nations, African Union and SADC level. Other documents that specifically speak to the situation of HRDs and the obligations of states to uphold their liberties and ensure continued open space include the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Resolution A/RES/53/144 of 1998, Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (commonly referred to as the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders). In 2013, a group of countries pushed for the adoption of a United Nations resolution on “Protecting women human rights defenders”. Norway was one of the countries that championed the tabling of this resolution. As a member of the UN, Zimbabwe must respect all resolutions of the UN, yet the government continues to exhibit lack of political will to abide by this important Resolution. Due to the special concerns of safety and security of women HRDs, in 2010 the United Nations Human Rights Council General Assembly (UNHRC) recognised in Resolution 13/13 on Protection of Human Rights Defenders “the immediate need to put an end to and take concrete steps to prevent threats, harassment, violence, including gender-based violence”, and encouraged states to strengthen mechanisms for consultation and dialogue with women HRDs. As stated in several articles of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and, 3 The other human rights instruments include: Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others; International Convention for the Suppression of the Trafficking in Women and Children; Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages; Convention on the Nationality of Married Women; The Convention on the Political Rights of Women; Convention: Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value; Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa; and the Southern Africa Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development.