Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC) was  established in December 2019, after 60 HRDs and human rights organizations met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the Claiming Space forum organized by DefendDefenders: the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, in collaboration with Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia, Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO) and Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), intending to establish a national human rights defenders network which is known the ‘Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center’ (EHRDC).

Ethiopian human rights defenders have faced many challenges in the last few decades. Attacks mainly from state and non-state actors and a restrictive legislative and policy environment that impacts the security and the work of HRDs.

In response to this restrictive atmosphere, EHRDC is established in the hope to overcome some of these constraints and create a stronger common front, and to have a strong national human rights defenders’ network that is dedicated to protecting and defending Ethiopian human rights defenders.

VISION

To see the recognized, protected, supported and free from fear Ethiopian Human rights defenders and essential actors in defending and advancing human rights, and bringing about positive change in Ethiopia and be one of the strongest Human rights defend defenders in East Africa.

Our Mission

To protect and support human rights defenders who are at risk as a result of their human rights work and enhance their capacity.

To assess the improvement of the social and political environment and evaluate the participation, cooperation and engagement of HRDs

To enhance the social and political environment for the protection of Human Rights Defenders, and to Support and unify all HRDs to work under the name of the Coalition

To monitor the impact of its capacity building on the work of HRDs.