This ProtectDefenders.eu joint study published in January 2018 assesses the volume of funding available for Human Rights Defenders (organizations and individuals) and identifies trends. In recent years, Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) have been facing increasing difficulties with the rise of authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes, the arrival of populist nationalisms in western democracies, and the persistence of various conflicts.
This context led to a surge of emergency grants requests to protect HRDs: between 2013 and 2016, emergency requests from HRDs received by three members of ProtectDefenders.eu increased by 37%, 50%, and 54% respectively. However, some civil society organizations that work with HRDs across the globe have expressed concern that public and private donors have not answered these new challenges and even reduced their support.
