Overview
Governments are failing to protect women and girls from violence and discrimination. Intersecting forms of discrimination, including on the basis of race, immigration status, disability, sexuality, and gender identity, can leave women and girls facing additional barriers to justice.
Though international human rights law, including the CEDAW Committee and the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, provide strong frameworks for combatting violence against women including a consent-based definition of rape, many countries retain definitions requiring the use of force, threats, and abusing helplessness and in most countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, rape committed through coercion is not defined as rape but as some other light crime.
The Istanbul Convention has not been universally ratified across Europe and only three countries of the former Soviet Union, namely Estonia, Georgia, and Moldova have adopted it.
Equality Now in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia at a glance
Analyzing rape laws across Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Our 2019 report, Roadblocks to Justice, found rape laws across the countries of the former Soviet Union are failing to protect women and girls
Improving outcomes in sexual violence cases. Together with partners in Georgia, in 2021 we produced a manual for investigators, prosecutors, and judges, as well as conducting specialized training for investigators and prosecutors.
Holding governments accountable for protecting women and girls from sexual violence. Through international advocacy, we’ve brought the issue of sexual violence across many countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to the attention of UN Human Rights mechanisms and mobilized support locally in partnership with local human rights organizations.
Achieving Legal Equality
Though there has been progress toward ensuring formal equality, most of the countries do not have legal provisions to provide for substantive equality
Ending Sexual Exploitation
Online sexual exploitation and abuse is a growing issue for women and girls across the region
Ending Sexual Violence
Sexual violence remains endemic, and many countries across the region have force-based, rather than consent-based definitions of rape and discriminatory criminal procedures
Ending Harmful Practices
Women and girls are living with the consequences of FGM in some parts of the region. Girls are also at risk of child marriage and bride kidnappings, particularly across Central Asia and the Caucasus
Our work
Equality Now works with partners, particularly across Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, including civil society organizations and relevant duty bearers and governments, to strengthen legal frameworks around sexual violence, harmful practices, and sexual exploitation, as well as addressing explicit discrimination in the law.
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Key resources
Kyrgyzstan – Additional information for Consideration by the Committee on the Rights of the Child at its 94th Session September 2023
This submission reiterates the concluding observations issued by this Committee at its last review of Kyrgyzstan and …
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Georgia- Information on Georgia for consideration by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its 84th Session January 2023
This joint submission highlights the failure of Georgia to comply with its duty to provide equal …
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Uzbekistan – Submission to the UN universal periodic review 44th session of the UPR working group of the human rights council April 2023
Our joint submission outlines the challenges in the implementation of international norms and standards and the …
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Countries
Equality Now works with partners across the region, including the European Union and the Council of Europe, to hold governments accountable for protecting the rights of women and girls. Explore progress towards gender equality across the region.
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Stories
Hear from some of the incredible survivors and activists committed to raising their voices to make equality reality across Europe and Central Asia, and around the world.
Louise – United Kingdom
I don’t remember anyone speaking to me at school about online safety. The focus was on stranger danger, not about the guy on the internet. I was around nine when I first went on an online chatroom. You were supposed to be over 13 to join but I didn’t have …
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Cassie – United Kingdom
We got our first computer when I was around ten. Chatrooms were a big thing. You’d get private messages from people you didn’t know and have conversations. It didn’t seem a big deal. We never had lessons about online safety, so we didn’t know that …
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Ruby – United Kingdom
This interview was shared with Equality Now through #myimagemychoice, a survivor-led coalition asking for trauma-informed global laws and policy on intimate image abuse. I’m a 28-years-old teacher and I first became aware of explicit images being shared …
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Mariam – Armenia
Equality Now has the privilege to partner with women’s rights activists from around the world. We’re sharing their unique perspectives and challenges advocating for change in their communities. We spoke to Mariam Torosyan, CEO & Founder at Safe YOU / Impact …
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None of us can afford to sit back and wait for equality to arrive – we need to act now. Only by working together will we achieve the legal and systemic change needed to address violence and discrimination against women and girls.
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Social change begins with legal change and people like you — raising your voice against injustice — play a vital role in our collective success.