e-CIVICUS: 24 March 2026

Newsletters 24 March 2026

CIVICUS has just released the State of Civil Society Report 2026, and its message is urgent: repression is rising, civic space is shrinking, and the pressure on activists, journalists, and ordinary people who dare to speak up has never been more relentless.

From authoritarian crackdowns to the weaponisation of law against defenders, the report maps a world where the cost of dissent is rising but so is the determination of those who refuse to be silenced. Resistance is rising to meet this assault. This report documents its breadth and power: people across the world choosing courage over compliance, and a new generation stepping forward to act.

Civil society advocacy, evidence-gathering and litigation are pushing back against regression and securing hard-won gains — demonstrating the power of sustained collective action. In a time of manufactured hopelessness, this report makes the case for resistance.

READ THE REPORT

New CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist will be released 25 March — featuring 5⃣ countries where there has been a rapid decline in civic freedoms.

🔗Look back at previously featured countries🔴🟡🟢

We are alarmed by the attack against human rights defender Andrie Yunus from KontraS, an Indonesian human rights organisation. It is clearly a reprisal for his activism. The authorities must ensure an impartial investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. 🔗Read our Open Letter

Behind the glossy storefronts and online sales of fast fashion lies a brutal reality: many garment workers face exploitation, repression, and unsafe conditions. In this episode of CIVICUS Voices, we uncover the human cost of fashion in Cambodia and Bangladesh, where workers, many of them women, are rising up against poverty wages, union-busting, and violent crackdowns. 🔗Tune in

We welcome the release of Belarusian human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova and Valiantsin Stefanovich, featured in its Stand As My Witness Campaign, following the Belarusian authorities’ decision to free 250 political prisoners in exchange for sanctions relief. 🔗Read our statement

CIVICUS calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Pakistani human rights defender Dr. Mahrang Baloch. Dr. Baloch, a prominent leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), was arrested along with other activists on 22 March 2025 during a peaceful sit-in protest in Quetta, calling for release of detained BYC members. 🔗Read our statement

The United Nations has never been led by a woman — and that gap matters. This op-ed by CIVICUS' UN New York Advisor, Jesselina Rana, argues that failing to reflect its own commitments to gender equality undermines the UN’s credibility and effectiveness. A woman at the helm would not only signal real change, but strengthen the institution’s ability to lead on global challenges.🔗Read the opinion piece

"As Human Rights Council turns 20, the UN’s founding promise – ‘We the Peoples’ – is under attack

In marking two decades of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Sigrid Lipott warns that the UN’s founding promise to serve “We the Peoples” is increasingly under attack. As civic freedoms shrink and barriers to participation grow — even within the UN itself — civil society’s role in defending human rights has never been more critical.

Fifteen Years On: Why the Human Rights Council Must Be Strengthened

We recently took part in the consultation meeting for the review of the status of the United Nations Human Rights Council, where we highlighted key concerns for civil society. As the Council marks 15 years since its major institutional review, we recognise the important role of the Council and call for strengthening its role in upholding human rights globally.

Did the much-feared “AI election apocalypse” materialise in 2024?

Our latest research examines the real impact of deepfakes, cheapfakes and increasingly fragile information ecosystems on elections worldwide. The 2024 – 2025 super election cycle, when nearly half the world voted, tells a more complicated story than the headlines suggest. The threat is real, but so is our capacity to understand it, counter it, and protect the integrity of democracy.

CIVICUS at CSW70: Advancing Civic Space, Gender Justice, and Global Accountability

At this year’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), we engaged across a range of high-level discussions and strategic convenings to push for stronger protections for civic freedoms at the United Nations and beyond, more inclusive feminist policymaking, and greater accountability within global governance systems.

CIVICUS Lens stories are directly informed by interviews with civil society activists, leaders, and change-makers. You can click on the stories below to read our analysis. You can also head to the platform and navigate the themes, stories, articles, and interviews - articles are available in multiple languages. Subscribe to the CIVICUS Lens newsletter mailing list for monthly updates on interviews and articles.

RFLD Legal Toolkit: Combat Cyber Harassment in Africa
The Network of Women Leaders for Development (RFLD)'s Legal Toolkit is a practical guide empowering journalists, activists, and women human rights defenders to fight back against digital violence across Africa. If you haven't downloaded it yet, now is the time. 🔗Download the Toolkit →

Lighthouse – Global Protection Fund

The Lighthouse Fund provides rapid, flexible support to frontline human rights defenders when they need it most — enabling critical work to continue under pressure.

🔗Apply now

New Tools for Defenders

International Service for Human Rights has launched two interactive tools to strengthen diplomatic protection of human rights defenders — one for diplomats, one for defenders themselves.

🔗Access the tools

Changemakers for Equality 2026 — Applications Open
Applications are open for the Changemakers for Equality 2026 programme. If you know a young leader committed to gender justice and equality, encourage them to apply before the deadline.

🔗Apply here

UN80 Initiative: implications of the UN reform for national and regional human rights NGOs

Join us and partners for an online webinar for human rights defenders working at the national and regional levels. It will discuss the #UN80Initiative and its implications of the UN reform for human rights NGOs.

🔗Registration here

Speak Up for Justice: Share Your Perspective

Across the world, the gap between women’s rights on paper and lived realities persists. Discriminatory laws, weak enforcement and harmful norms continue to deny justice to many. We’re asking: What does justice look like for women and girls, and where does it fall short? Share your perspective with us today.

🔗Add your voice

Programme Assistant – Local Leaderships Lab Project Close Out

We are looking for an organised, detail-oriented professional with a passion for civil society and international development to support the successful close out of our Local Leadership Labs (LLL) initiative — a meaningful opportunity to contribute to knowledge retention and institutional learning at a global organisation.

Apply here

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Open Call for Proposals: Social Listening & Digital Manipulation

The Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) at CIVICUS is seeking a highly experienced consultant to support the implementation of its 2026 research outputs on social listening and digital manipulation affecting civic space and democracy. The partner will provide technical expertise in designing and implementing social listening methodologies, identifying appropriate analytical tools and platforms, and producing structured datasets and analytical insights to inform DDI research publications.

Apply here

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e-CIVICUS: 24 March 2026

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