The Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition [WHRD IC] expresses its deep concern at the recent hacking of the website of the Latin America and Caribbean Women’s Health Network’s (LACWHN).  The attack is emblematic of the serious threat that on-line harassment presents to sexual and reproductive rights activists and constitutes a malicious violation of LACWHN’s right to freedom of expression and association. 
On 21 September the LACWHN’s website was hacked and disabled: http://www.reddesalud.org/.  The attack occurred immediately following the launch of several campaign activities on 19 and 20 September  including the #28SAbortoLegal social media campaign as well as the posting of a photo album and some posters.

The WHRD IC believes the digital attack is a deliberate attempt to silence legitimate feminist voices, suppress dissent and stifle women’s political participation in the public sphere on these issues by stigmatization and sabotage.   The spaces where WHRDs working on sexual rights provide information and communicate from on the right to information on health and bodily integrity are being systematically attacked. In 2013 APC conducted a global survey (http://www.genderit.org/articles/survey-sexual-activism-morality-and-internet) on risks facing WHRDs working on sexual rights, including reproductive health and rights, LGBT rights, access to safe abortion, sexual violence and rape, and sex education. 99% of activists stated that the internet was a crucial tool for advancing their human rights work. And yet, 51% reported receiving violent or threatening messages online. About one third of the sample mentioned intimidation (34%); blocking and filtering (33%); or censorship (29%). This resulted in 27% of them discontinuing the work they were doing online.” Given the importance and relatively new area of human rights, the WHRD IC notes the importance of advancing regional and international jurisprudence, and contributing to a better understanding by the international community of the risks that exist on-line, particularly in relationship to the protection of the right to defend rights.