By any standard, 2020 was a devastating year-- not least of all for women and girls who disproportionately bore the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. From increased rates of child marriage and female genital mutilation in India and Kenya to the rise in forced pregnancies in the United States due to constricted access to contraception and abortion, it is clear that gendered impacts of the pandemic will far outlast the virus itself. But 2021 offers a light at the end of the tunnel.

This submission highlights our experiences in working with and supporting victims and survivors of sex trafficking in Kenya, Malawi, and the United States.

The initiative is of grave importance and is timely, as it will provide an opportunity for EU law to be aligned to and integrate the standards of the Istanbul Convention as well as ensuring a holistic approach to addressing gender-based violence and violence against women and girls. It has the potential to protect millions of vulnerable people, especially women and girls, who are disproportionately affected and prevent trauma and violence in their lives across all countries in Europe.

In December 2020, following the release of our joint report - Justice Denied: Sexual Violence and Intersectional Discrimination: Barriers to Accessing Justice for Dalit Women and Girls in Haryana, India - Swabhiman Society and Equality Now hosted a webinar on addressing caste based sexual violence in India

The submission deals with our concern about human rights violations faced by women and girls in the Russian Federation, focusing on the Russian Federation’s obligation under Article 2 (obligation to prevent torture, including through legislative measures) of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to address domestic violence, female genital mutilation, and discrimination in the law with regards to the exemption from punishment of offenders, including rapists, who marry their victims.

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

Equality Now has teamed with Netflix and the filmmakers of Athlete A, the documentary about the brave gymnasts that put Larry Nassar behind bars and exposed decades of abuse at USA Gymnastics, in order to shine a spotlight on the systemic abuse of adolescent girls in the United States and beyond.

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.