Dear JOhn,

It is officially the second month of 2020 and our team of human rights lawyers and advocates have been hard at work across the world, working with hundreds of officials, journalists and survivors. Here’s a round up of what we’ve been doing to #MakeEqualityAReality with your support.

Building Bridges: Uniting diverse groups to end the sexual exploitation of vulnerable people

Equality Now is committed to ending sexual exploitation through a comprehensive approach based on human rights and gender equality. As the issue of sexual exploitation morphs along with external factors such as technology and socioeconomics, we must as an organization, reflect and adapt. In 2020, we will be engaging with a diverse range of actors and viewpoints so that together we can find comprehensive and nuanced solutions to end the sexual exploitation of all people. We must identify the laws, legal practices and policies that allow sexual exploitation to continue with impunity. We must then commit to change them.

Read our most recent blog post outlining Equality Now’s commitment to building bridges this year.

Equality Now hosts SOAWR Annual General Meeting in Nairobi

Equality Now Africa humbly serves as the Secretariat of the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights Coalition (SOAWR), a network of 60 incredible national, regional and international civil society organizations in 27 countries promoting the rights of African women and girls through the Maputo Protocol. This month, Equality Now Africa hosted the SOAWR Annual Meeting in Nairobi where representatives renewed their commitments to advance, uphold and secure the rights of women in Africa.

Learn more about the purpose and creation of the SOAWR Coalition.

Equality Now, the Equal Rights Trust, and the European Human Rights Advocacy Center intervene in TV v Russia at the European Court of Human Rights

This month, Equality Now Europe and Eurasia supported the applicant in this case (a Russian national) who claims that the State failed to conduct an effective investigation into her allegations of rape by her husband. Our joint intervention addresses current human rights standards and requirements on the definition and interpretation of rape and its investigation, and the necessity to examine rape complaints and their investigation, under the right to non-discrimination and the prohibition of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.

Three steps to #MakeEqualityReality

>>>Marital rape is not a crime in India - join our call for the Indian government to ensure justice for all rape victims and remove marital rape exception<<<

>>> Call for women to have equal citizenship rights to men in Kuwait<<<

>>>Take action to implement the Sexual Offenses Act in Kenya and ensure justice for all victims of sexual violence<<<

Coming up next:

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

On February 6, the international community will observe the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM with a focus on mobilizing youth to unleash their power to accelerate actions to end FGM around the world. Follow us Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram next week as we highlight the globalization of FGM and the necessary steps to eliminate it.

Equality Now in the News

Women Stage Flash Mob Protest Outside Harvey Weinstein Trial

‘Marry-your-rapist’ bill to be introduced by lawmakers in Turkey

Women Activists Escalate Demand for “Bodily Autonomy” as 19 Nations Dissent

Human Rights Advocates Demand Policy Change in Cyprus After British Teen Gets Prison Sentence for Dropping Rape Charges

Thank you for being a huge part of our work, which would not be possible without your constant support and activism.

In solidarity,

Bryna Subherwal
Advocacy Campaign Manager