The KIOS 2021 Annual Report has been published
The KIOS Annual Report 2021 shows how activists managed to continue their human rights work, even in the situation where Covid-19 pandemic was still ongoing. Last year, KIOS funded 41 human rights projects of programmes in East Africa and South Asia.
The Covid-19 restrictions continued in some parts of the world in 2021.
“We noticed that restrictive measures had become the new normal, and the state of human rights had clearly deteriorated in many countries”, KIOS’s Executive Director Mr. Kim Remitz said in the foreword.
Doing human rights work has become more difficult in 2021 as the pandemic and the aftermath have been used as an excuse to more permanent restrictions to political rights, for example. Activists supported by KIOS have had to adapt their activities to new circumstances and come up with new ways to work. On the positive side, human rights have also become a strong topic of discussion recently, and people understand better that they need to be fought for.
What did KIOS and our grantees achieve in 2021?
During the year, KIOS funded 41 human rights projects or programs, of which 23 were in East Africa and 18 in South Asia.
Last year, KIOS directed 1 007 382 € to human rights work in developing countries. Some of the results from 12 projects or programmes that ended last year include:
- 18 112 people learnt about their rights and how to defend them
- 1 799 authorities learnt about human rights and their duties
- 2 194 people received legal aid or counselling
- 10 human rights reports were published
- 14 strategic litigation cases proceeded in court.
KIOS grantees did human rights work, for example, by documenting human rights violations against Dalit women in Nepal, fighting against torture in Kenya, and driving corporate responsibility in Uganda.
Women and people in a vulnerable position in focus
The most common themes of our grantees’ work in 2021 were:
- People in a vulnerable position
- Women’s rights and gender equality
- Rule of law and democracy
- Business and human rights
KIOS focused its funding on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons who are in a vulnerable position or marginalised. Such groups include, for example, refugees and migrants, Dalits, sexual and gender minorities, victims of human rights violations, and human rights defenders.
In Finland, KIOS handled several themes, for example the impact the pandemic has had on society and civic freedom.
Download the Annual Report(pdf) and read more about our work in 2021!
For an accessible version, please read the summary on our website.