In December 2019, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice found Sierra Leone's ban that prohibited pregnant schoolgirls from attending school to be in violation of the right of pregnant girls to education. In March 2020, the government of Sierra Leone lifted the discriminatory ban. To mark a year since this historic judgment, we caught up with Hannah Yambasu, Executive Director of Women Against Violence in Society (W.A.V.E.S), one of our partners in the filing.

In December 2019, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice found Sierra Leone's ban that prohibited pregnant schoolgirls from attending school to be in violation of the right of pregnant girls to education. In March 2020, the government of Sierra Leone lifted the discriminatory ban. To mark a year since this historic judgment, we caught up with Hannah Yambasu, Executive Director of Women Against Violence in Society (W.A.V.E.S), one of our partners in the filing.

Athlete A is more than just the story of one bad man, it is an exploration into the systems of power that perpetuate the abuse and objectification of girls and young women. Equality Now is incredibly proud to partner with the Netflix documentary Athlete A, which tells the story of the gymnasts who survived USA Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nasser’s serial sexual abuse and exposed the toxic culture of elite gymnastics.

Athlete A is more than just the story of one bad man, it is an exploration into the systems of power that perpetuate the abuse and objectification of girls and young women. Equality Now is incredibly proud to partner with the Netflix documentary Athlete A, which tells the story of the gymnasts who survived USA Gymnastics Doctor Larry Nasser’s serial sexual abuse and exposed the toxic culture of elite gymnastics.

International women’s rights organization Equality Now alongside its partner in Tanzania, has today filed a joint case at the African Court on Human and People’s Rights against the Government of Tanzania, seeking to overturn the country’s discriminatory policy of permanently expelling pregnant girls from school and banning adolescent mothers from returning to school after giving birth.

International women’s rights organization Equality Now alongside its partner in Tanzania, has today filed a joint case at the African Court on Human and People’s Rights against the Government of Tanzania, seeking to overturn the country’s discriminatory policy of permanently expelling pregnant girls from school and banning adolescent mothers from returning to school after giving birth.

Every October 11th, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child. This year, there is much to celebrate, including a legal victory against the government of Sierra Leone that led to the country lifting its discriminatory ban on pregnant girls attending school, Pennsylvania and Minnesota banning child marriage, Massachusetts passing a law criminalizing female genital mutilation, and a potential landmark case highlighting Bolivia’s failure to protect adolescent girls from sexual violence being referred to the Inter-American court after almost 20 years. But the work to protect girls’ rights is far from over.

Every October 11th, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child. This year, there is much to celebrate, including a legal victory against the government of Sierra Leone that led to the country lifting its discriminatory ban on pregnant girls attending school, Pennsylvania and Minnesota banning child marriage, Massachusetts passing a law criminalizing female genital mutilation, and a potential landmark case highlighting Bolivia’s failure to protect adolescent girls from sexual violence being referred to the Inter-American court after almost 20 years. But the work to protect girls’ rights is far from over.

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA/NEW YORK, NEW YORK, August 11, 2020 - On August 7th, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it has referred the case of Brisa Liliana de Ángulo Lozada to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (the Court).

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA/NEW YORK, NEW YORK, August 11, 2020 - On August 7th, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it has referred the case of Brisa Liliana de Ángulo Lozada to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (the Court).

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA/NEW YORK, NEW YORK, August 11, 2020 - On August 7th, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it has referred the case of Brisa Liliana de Ángulo Lozada to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (the Court).

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA/NEW YORK, NEW YORK, August 11, 2020 - On August 7th, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it has referred the case of Brisa Liliana de Ángulo Lozada to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (the Court).

Adolescent girls are disproportionately vulnerable to human rights abuses that can have severe and long-lasting consequences. At the same time girls generally lack a support system through which they can protest abuses and attempt to access justice. 

Adolescent girls are disproportionately vulnerable to human rights abuses that can have severe and long-lasting consequences. At the same time girls generally lack a support system through which they can protest abuses and attempt to access justice. 

Adolescent girls are disproportionately vulnerable to human rights abuses that can have severe and long lasting consequences. At the same time girls generally lack a support system through which they can protest abuses and attempt to access justice.

Adolescent girls are disproportionately vulnerable to human rights abuses that can have severe and long lasting consequences. At the same time girls generally lack a support system through which they can protest abuses and attempt to access justice.

In a succinct and powerful judgment the Court found that the government had not only put in place a discriminatory policy prohibiting pregnant girls from school but had also failed to put in place measures to reduce teenage pregnancies in line with their own government policies which were adopted after the civil war.

In a succinct and powerful judgment the Court found that the government had not only put in place a discriminatory policy prohibiting pregnant girls from school but had also failed to put in place measures to reduce teenage pregnancies in line with their own government policies which were adopted after the civil war.