A total of 312 human rights defenders were killed in 27 countries last
year, according to a new report by Front Line Defenders. Eighty percent of
killings occurred in four countries – Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and the
Philippines – and two-thirds of all killings targeted activists working on issues
like land, environmental and indigenous peoples’ rights. The report concluded that
female human rights workers in particular are increasingly reporting 'hyper-sexualised smear campaigns and defamation' that aim to limit their
activism.