Mexico City, 8 March 2016.– On a number of occasions, PBI has reported both on the additional barrier that WHRDs face on account of gender discrimination, and their particular needs when it comes to protection. For this reason, in November 2015, PBI promoted a workshop on integral protection for women human rights defenders, which was attended by female activists from various Mexican states. The situation in Oaxaca continues to cause alarm: according to the report “Women human rights defenders under attack: challenges for integral protection in Oaxaca,” published by Consorcio Oaxaca and the Oaxacan Network of Women Activists and Human Rights Defenders, the number of threats and attacks against women activists is on the rise.

On 8 March, International Women's Day, gender violence and attacks on women activists were denounced during various events and protests throughout the state of Oaxaca. PBI accompanied a march organised by Código-DH in San Pedro Amuzgos, which paid homage to the recently assassinated Honduran activist Berta Cáceres.