Overview
Every day, women and girls around the world face violence and discrimination. Sexual exploitation, violence, harmful cultural practices, and systemic inequalities violate their human rights and prevent them from reaching their potential.
Equality Now uses regional and international human rights law to hold governments accountable for their promises and to bring local issues to the attention of human rights bodies.
Equality Now’s work at a glance
Overturning sex discriminatory laws. Almost 60% of the discriminatory laws we’ve highlighted since 1999 have been fully or partially reformed.
Highlighting the urgent need for family law reform. Unafraid of difficult issues, we’re working with activists committed to tackling inequalities in family law, including distribution of marital wealth, child marriage, divorce, and custody.
Ending impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence. From Georgia and Kenya to India and Bolivia, we work with partners to hold states accountable to their international obligations and ensure they enact and effectively implement laws that protect and promote the rights of women and girls to live free from sexual violence.
Our work
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Key resources
The State We’re In: Ending Sexism in Nationality Laws – 2022 Edition – Update for a Disrupted World
We have seen good progress in achieving equality in nationality laws with 19 countries making partial or full legal reforms and making significant …
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Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and exploitation of children
Equality Now submitted this brief to the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography, and other child sexual …
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Ending Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Women and Girls: A Call for International Standards
Online sexual exploitation and abuse are growing at an alarming pace globally. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable as offenders take advantage of the sex, gender, …
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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.
Take action
Call on Sierra Leone to criminalize female genital mutilation
Following yet another tragic death in Sierra Leone due to female genital mutilation (FGM), add your voice to our campaign calling on the Government of Sierra Leone to criminalize FGM and protect women and girls from …
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Eliminate the ERA Deadline
Surprisingly, women are not protected by the U.S. Constitution. Join our campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment by calling on your Senators to support the elimination of the ERA deadline. Take action today and tell Congress there is #NoDeadlineOnEquality …
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Justice over honor: Kuwait should amend its Penal Code to protect women and girls from sexual violence
Kuwait’s Penal Code defines rape as a crime against honor, positioning women and girls as ‘vessels of honor’ rather than recognizing their human right to bodily …
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