Rachel Nicholson has been working with the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP) since March 2011, where she currently manages the Advocacy and Research programme. The organisation seeks to strengthen the work of human rights defenders in Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia (together with Somaliland), South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights.

EHAHRDP's Advocacy and Research programme works to raise awareness of the challenges facing human rights defenders in the sub-region and to promote the implementation of concrete measures to improve their situation. EHAHRDP also seeks to facilitate the effective engagement of HRDs with the regional and international human rights mechanisms, such as the UN Human Rights Council.

Before joining EHAHRDP, Rachel worked as an associate in the Africa division of Human Rights Watch and deputy coordinator of a UK parliamentary group on the Great Lakes region of Africa.

For more information on EHAHRDP's work, see www.defenddefenders.org or follow on Twitter @EHAHRDP and Facebook.