Resources

DISCRIMINATION IN LAW

A Guide to Using the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa for Legal Action
Published: July 2011. Format: pdf, 4.79MB. 176 pages.
Available in English and French. Spanish and Arabic translations pending.
This Guide provides step-by-step guidance for using the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa at local, national, and regional levels. It explains how to bring women’s rights abuses that violate the Protocol before domestic courts and regional justice mechanisms like the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights; analyzes key cases related to women’s rights decided by the African Commission; and provides general strategies for activists.

A Quick Guide to Reporting Human Rights Violations to the United Nations and the African Commission
Published: July 2011. Format: pdf, 385KB. 2 pages.
Available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
This pocket guide outlines the most common ways that NGO’s can bring human rights violations to the attention of the United Nations and regional bodies.  If further assistance is needed with the reporting system or specific technical assistance, feel free to contact Equality Now at info@equalitynow.org.

Working Group Report on Discrimination in Law
Published: May 2011. Format: pdf, 4.58MB. 329 pages.
Available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
This report draws from the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).  Since 2005, this committee has referenced discrimination against women in law in 137 countries.

Words and Deeds: Holding Governments Accountable in the Beijing +15 Review Process
Published: February 2010. Format: pdf, 345KB. 32 pages.
Available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
In conjunction with the UN General Assembly’s five-year reviews of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, Equality Now has issued regular reports tracking a representative sampling of explicitly discriminatory laws around the world. 

SEXUAL VIOLENCE 

Learning From Cases of Girls' Rights
Published: February 2012. Format: pdf, 4.4MB. 48 pages
Currently available in English only.
Representing the knowledge gained from cases undertaken as part of Equality Now’s Adolescent Girls’ Legal Defense Fund (AGLDF), this report identifies and addresses the common obstacles faced by adolescent girls in their pursuit of justice. Since its inception in 2008, the AGLDF has taken up nine cases involving various forms of sexual violence, the most common abuse suffered by girls, in seven countries. This paper consolidates and aggregates the lessons learned from these cases in our effort to establish legal precedents to prevent and better address future violations of girls’ rights.

A Struggle for Justice: Incest Victims in Pakistan Report
Published: January 2012. Format: pdf, 458KB. 18 pages.
Currently available in English only. Urdu translation pending.
War Against Rape, Lahore (WAR Lahore), Nasreen Welfare Trust Legal Aid Services (NWT) and Equality Now pro-actively undertook a preliminary study on the subject of incest in Pakistan prompted by the case of a 15-year-old survivor “Mariam" and due to a lack of data on the subject. This report highlights the obstacles incest survivors face in accessing justice and provides solutions based on best practices from other countries. The goal of the report is to advocate for reform of sexual violence laws, especially as relates to incest, and procedures to guarantee that the dignity and rights of victims are safeguarded by the system and to ensure better implementation of laws through capacity building of relevant legal, forensic and law enforcement personnel.

Child Marriage Fact Sheet
Published: June 2011. Format: pdf, 225KB. 4 pages.
Available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic. 

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) 

Protecting Girls from Undergoing FGM in Kenya and Tanzania
Published: November 2011. Format: pdf, 1.8MB. 40 pages.
Available in English and French.
This booklet explores the challenges and accomplishments of Equality Now partners in Kenya (Tasaru Ntromonok Initiative) and Tanzania (Network Against Female Genital Mutilation) as they work to eliminate the harmful practice of FGM in the Maasai community using a gender and rights-based approach. The booklet was sponsored by the New Field Foundation, whose mission is to contribute to the creation of a peaceful and equitable world by supporting women and their families to overcome poverty, violence and injustice in their communities.

Female Genital Mutilation In The U.S. Fact Sheet
Published: June 2011. Format: pdf, 355KB. 3 pages.
Available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.

Campaign for a Law Against FGM in Mali in 2009
Published: September 2009. Format: video. 5 minutes.
English only.
A video about FGM in Mali (and across Africa) and Equality Now's campaign for a law prohibiting it.

Africa Rising
Released: 2008. Format: dvd. 62 minutes.
English subtitled.
Africa Rising is a powerful documentary portraying the indomitable grassroots movement to end female genital mutilation. Traveling through remote villages in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, Somalia and Tanzania, Africa Rising celebrates the resilience and determination of the human spirit to change destiny against all odds. Available for purchase in the U.S. through our U.S. distributor, Women Make Movies. Outside the U.S., please contact UKinfo@equalitynow.org or equalitynownairobi@equalitynow.org

Awaken
Published: 1997-2010. Format: pdf, 500K-1.6MB, 50-60 pages per issue.
Each issue includes English, French, and Arabic translations.
From 1997-2010, Equality Now published Awaken, a forum for information and discussion to promote a better understanding and a more effective strategy for the eradication of FGM. Each issue was published in English, Arabic and French to promote its accessibility to grassroots groups and individuals in communities where FGM is practiced. Below are archived copies of the newsletter. To request earlier issues, please contact info@equalitynow.org.

Volume 14, Issue 1, June 2010, (pdf, 1.2MB)
Volume 13, Issue 2, December 2009, (pdf, 1.6MB)
Volume 13, Issue 1, June 2009, (pdf, 716K)

TRAFFICKING

Global Sex Trafficking Fact Sheet
Published: August 2011. (Updated March 2012) Format: pdf, 458KB. 2 pages.
Available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.

Sex Trafficking and Exploitation
Published: June 2011. Format: video. 8 minutes.
English only.
Activists and sex trafficking survivors speak about the global fight against sex trafficking, including the need for legislation, curbing demand, and ensuring protecting and support for victims.