A/HRC/16/44 violations of the rights of women defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues. 93. It has been reported that the Government of Mexico is currently in the process of working towards the development of a protection programme and mechanism for human rights defenders. However, it seems unclear whether this mechanism will recognize the special security and protection needs of women defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues. While the Special Rapporteur welcomes this initiative, she hopes that the specific risks and security needs of women defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues are being taken into consideration in the design and implementation of all such mechanism. 94. According to the information received, the Colombian Constitutional Court has stated that women defenders face extraordinary risks linked to both their condition of women and to their active participation in community and social movements. In this connection, the Constitutional Court has issued orders to overcome the inadequate protection of those women who work as leaders of internally displaced communities and has highlighted the gender-related risks faced by women defenders in the context of the conflict. 95. The Special Rapporteur has received information indicating that the Government of Colombia has made efforts to incorporate a gender-dimension into the protection programme for internally displaced women, which has paid special attention to those women leaders of these communities. These efforts have included consultation with this group of women defenders during the design and implementation of specific protection actions. While this is welcome, the Special Rapporteur would like to note that similar efforts would be necessary to protect other groups of women defenders in the country. 96. In other regions, a factor reported as hindering the development or implementation of State-based policies or practices for the protection of women defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues is the lack of will on the part of Government authorities, including the police. In these cases, Government or police officials may themselves share the prevailing conservative and patriarchal views of the community in general towards women defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues, and thus may have little or no enthusiasm to intervene effectively for their protection in spite of their obligation to do so. 2. Regional protection mechanisms 97. In the Americas, the provisional and precautionary measures granted by the InterAmerican Court for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights respectively are seen as an effective recourse by some women defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues. It is reported that these measures raise the visibility of their cases and can help obtain resources for their protection. However, a number of limitations to their effective implementation have also been reported from different sources, mainly the fact the women defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues often have to be protected by the same institutions or State agents who have allegedly violated their rights. Factors such as this may discourage this group of defenders from utilising such mechanisms, and must be addressed. 98. Information provided indicates that, in a number of countries, working groups on the implementation of the European Union (EU) Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders have been established, with a view to developing a local implementation strategy. Women defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues at risk could have recourse to various means of support provided by different stakeholders. 18