The submission deals with our concerns about sexual violence laws and procedures in Russia that deny justice to survivors and constitute violations of Russia's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

This submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women details concerns regarding Russia's sexual violence laws, procedures, and practices that are effectively denying survivors access to justice.

To mark the end of an unprecedented year we’ve rounded up some moments of light amongst the darkness in the fight for gender equality. 

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 September 2020, the Government of Makueni County in collaboration with Equality Now hosted a webinar to champion and advocate for the protection of children’s rights in response to the increased number of child abuse cases reported in Kenya.

GEORGIA, TBILISI, December 7, 2020 - Georgia has one of the highest rates of child marriage in Eastern Europe, but the problem is being widely overlooked. Although Georgian legislation states that marriage is prohibited under the age of 18 under any circumstance, many girls are married off as minors – sometimes against their will. The practice, together with other factors, arises out of gender inequality.

Produced in collaboration with Goga Khatiashvili (the author), this publication aims to address the culture of silence around child and forced marriage in Georgia. Though many in Georgia may consider child marriage to be a thing of the past, a 2018 UNICEF report found that among women aged 20-24, 14% were married by the age of 18 in Georgia.

29 November is International Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) Day. A day to celebrate and thank women who defend human rights, and all people who defend the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQI people. It is also a day to hold States accountable for protecting the rights of WHRDs to protect and promote human rights. Too often WHRDs face violence, harassment, and even imprisonment, simply for taking a stand for equality and human rights.

Pallavi* was 16-years-old and on the way to visit her grandmother when she was kidnapped and gang-raped by 12 young men. They filmed her attack and threatened to share the video if she told anyone. This story was shared by Equality Now and Swabhiman Society - an organization providing paralegal support, legal aid and other services to survivors of sexual violence from marginalized communities in Haryana - as part of the launch of their joint report, Justice Denied: Sexual Violence & Intersectional Discrimination - Barriers to Accessing Justice for Dalit Women and Girls in Haryana, India.