Madam, - Seán Love is right to defend Amnesty International's report on violence against women from charges of anti-male bias (Opinion & Analysis, July 12th). All campaigns need to be focused, and therefore selective. If I support a charity for cats, does this make me anti-dog?
Human rights are indivisible, and highlighting the abuse of women by a minority of men can only be beneficial to society as a whole. A society that treats all its members, men and women, the young and the aged, justly and with respect, is a healthier and a happier one. - Yours, etc,
PAT LITTLE,
Plattinstown,
Arklow,
Co Wicklow.
Madam, - Those who are campaigning to end violence against women have provoked some hostile responses from some of your correspondents. Around the world those who defend the rights of women often face serious attacks because of such human rights work.
In Mexico those who work to stop the abduction, rape and killing of hundreds of young women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua have faced death threats and harassment. Evangelina Arce was attacked and beaten because of such campaigning.
Raihana Diani was detained for six months in Indonesia as a result of her work with a women's rights organization in Aceh.
They were two of the women who spoke at the Dublin platform of human rights defenders in 2003 on the specific challenges facing women human rights defenders.
Hina Jilani, the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders, in her report to the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2003 pointed out that "women constitute almost half of the human rights defenders who are subjected to torture, murder and violence as a consequence of their work in defence of human rights, not only of women but of all communities that suffer discrimination and exploitation." - Yours, etc,
ANDREW ANDERSON,
Deputy Director,
Front Line, (International
Foundation for the Protection
of Human Rights Defenders),
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.