A total of 312 human rights defenders were killed in 27 countries last year, according to a new report by Front Line Defenders. Eighty percent of killings occurred in four countries – Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines – and two-thirds of all killings targeted activists working on issues like land, environmental and indigenous peoples’ rights. The report concluded that female human rights workers in particular are increasingly reporting 'hyper-sexualised smear campaigns and defamation' that aim to limit their activism.