As we mark International Women’s Day on 08 March 2026, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) throughout its work has observed a consistent pattern of reports from women human rights defenders (WHRDs) on the deterioration of their mental health while pursuing activism in their communities. Even WHRDs who have lived in exile while pursuing activism have reported mental health issues. GCHR pays great attention to supporting WHRDs and documents regularly opportunities and challenges that support the pursuit of their rights.

In January 2025, GCHR published an extensive survey on such opportunities and challenges. One of the key elements of the survey was to identify risks, whether perceived or existing, which face WHRDs while pursuing activism, including adverse effects on mental health. All WHRDs, except two, reported suffering from anxiety, stress, trust issues, and depression. Most women did not receive a proper diagnosis or adequate care. Some reported receiving informal care sessions through civil society organisations including GCHR.

In this report, GCHR provides an overview of the impact of pursuing activism on WHRDs within the context of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries. The report explains some of the familial, societal, and state related risks facing WHRDs and their adverse mental health outcomes. It also introduces some of the serious implications on WHRDs, as documented by GCHR over the years, many of whom sustained severe mental illnesses due to threats, persecution, and abandonment of their communities and supporting families.