The Yara WHRD Center is a space for WHRDs from the MENA and Asia regions, to come together and learn about the importance of self-care, wellness and holistic security. It’s a space where WHRDs can share their own experiences and strategies for ensuring resilience and sustained activism despite pressures and challenges. We strive to provide WHRDs with critical and up to date information from the region and other contexts, from a feminist perspective, about the need for a culture of care, the importance of practicing self-care, and ensuring wellness and security at the personal, organizational and movement levels.
The name Yara, is derived from the Persian word Yar, meaning companion, friend, supporter. We hope the Yara Center will be a support to WHRDs at critical times in their activism.
Physical and Organizational Security
Since the current political administration took power in Egypt in 2014, the public domain has been closed to political activists and women human rights defenders. All party, union, and media activities have been restricted. Leaders of civil society ….
Wellness and Self care
For those who have been running on empty while advocating for the most marginalized, who have thanklessly returned to activism for the sake of liberation, who have expended emotional labor for organizations that did not deserve it — now is the time for you to start caring for yourself…
Online Security
In addition to weaponizing their gender to silence critical journalists like Oueiss, the rulers of the UAE and Saudi Arabia appear to have conspired to use their advanced surveillance capabilities against women’s rights defenders in both monarchies. Loujain Alhathloul claims…
