Business Impacts on Human Rights, the Environment and Peacebuilding: A Toolkit for Women and Women Human Rights and Environmental Defenders in Liberia and Sierra Leone

This toolkit on business, human rights, and the environment (BHRE) in post-conflict situations is developed as a practical tool for human rights and environmental defenders and local civil society organisations to gain knowledge on how corporations impact conflict dynamics, efforts to sustain peace and how BHRE impacts women. It focuses on Liberia and Sierra Leone, but much of the content is also relevant beyond the two countries, especially in the West African context. It also provides an overview of national and international guidelines on women’s rights and an international guidance on business conduct and BHRE in conflict affected settings. The toolkit also outlines how to organize when business operations adversely affect environment, human rights, or peacebuilding efforts and the challenges women and WEHRDs face when doing so. The content can be used in training and education effort by CSOs to increase the capacity of women in communities affected by large-scale land concessions and other business operations to understand their rights to land, natural resources, and human rights, enabling them to better advocate and demand their rights to their lands and natural resources.