The latest from our team of experts across the globe

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Dear John,

Welcome to the newest edition of our Make Equality Reality Briefing, bringing you the latest news from our teams working to protect and promote the rights of women and girls around the world.


** Strengthening Laws and Implementation for Prevention of Child Marriage in Eastern and Southern Africa
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Child marriage severely harms girls and exposes them to multiple human rights violations. It impedes their right to education, as marriage often entails being forced to drop out of school to assume adult responsibilities. This lack of education perpetuates a cycle of poverty, limiting girls’ opportunities for personal development and financial independence.

Almost one-third (32%) ([link removed]) of women aged 20 to 24 in Eastern and Southern Africa – around 50 million – were married before 18 years old. To address this pervasive problem, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum has adopted the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children ([link removed]) .

The SADC Model Law defines a child as any person below the age of 18 and recognizes that child marriage violates children’s rights, including the right to education, health, and protection from harm. It calls for prohibiting child marriage, creating prevention and response mechanisms, and promoting birth registration.

Globally, our legal advocacy approach to ending child marriage advocates for a minimum age of marriage to be 18, with no exceptions as a legal standard that States should apply at the national level through legislation.

Having the right laws in place is the foundation upon which access to protection and justice is built. But only through a multifaceted approach championed by governments can we create a future where every child and young woman in East and Southern Africa can reach their full potential, free from the shackles of child marriage and early motherhood.
Learn More ([link removed])


** Ending FGM Medicalization in the Arab States
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Female genital mutilation (FGM) medicalization is the performance of FGM by healthcare providers, often under the guise of medical necessity or a safe option. It is a harmful and unethical practice that violates the human rights of girls and women.

FGM medicalization is harmful and unethical because it:
* Normalizes FGM and makes it seem like a medically necessary procedure when it is not.
* Gives FGM a veneer of legitimacy, which can make it more difficult to challenge.
* Violates the human rights of girls and women to bodily integrity and to be free from violence and discrimination.

Equality Now was honored to participate in the regional meeting on ending FGM medicalization in the Arab States in Cairo, Egypt, this past month. The meeting, organized by UNFPA ([link removed]) and UNICEF ([link removed]) in collaboration with the League of Arab States, with official delegations representing Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, Mauritania, Iraq, Kurdistan, Yemen, Kenya, and Guinea, focused on sharing best practices from the participating countries on operationalizing the four pillars of the WHO global strategy to stop healthcare providers from performing FGM.

We are encouraged by the progress that is being made to end FGM medicalization, but there is still much work to be done. Equality Now is committed to working with our partners to end this human rights abuse and to ensure that all girls and women have the right to live free from violence and discrimination.
Read More ([link removed])


** Equality Now Statement: Israel-Palestine
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Equality Now acknowledges the immense pain and suffering experienced by all people throughout the current crisis. We do not condone violence in any form and send our condolences to all who have suffered harm and lost loved ones. You can read our statement on the conflict here.

Read Our Statement ([link removed])


** Strengthening Alliances for Legal and Systemic Changes to Protect Women and Girls from Violence in Brazil
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This October, Equality Now had the opportunity to strengthen ties with civil society allies, government leaders, and members of the Brazilian legislature in our quest for equality and inclusion for women and girls. Our team of legal experts met with parliamentary advisors and allies to present Equality Now’s work and discuss regional and international standards on sexual violence.

Additionally, we participated in a panel at the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, organized in collaboration with the Parliamentary Front for Women Entrepreneurs, the Women’s Department of the Chamber of Deputies, the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Women of the Federal Senate, and the Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM).

Our Global Executive Director, Mona Sinha ([link removed]) , stressed the urgency and importance of implementing laws that promote gender equality in Brazil. The discussion addressed critical issues such as violence against women, pay equity, political underrepresentation of women, and online sexual exploitation.

These events represent an important step for Equality Now’s work in Latin America, strengthening partnerships in Brazil and advancing our efforts toward legal and systemic changes to ensure that women and girls live free from violence.
Read Our Blog ([link removed])


** Calling on the UN to Uphold the Rights of Women and Girls in the US
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Beginning in 2019, Equality Now, in partnership with US-based civil society organizations (CSOs), shared a list of issues ([link removed]) with the United Nations Human Rights Committee (the Committee), which was set to address the ongoing human rights violations occurring in the United States as prohibited under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, an international treaty that the US has signed and ratified.
In 2023, with the aim of continuing to reinforce mechanisms that expose these human rights violations at the international level, Equality Now, together with the ERA Coalition ([link removed]) , Unchained at Last ([link removed]) , the US End FGM/C Network ([link removed]) , and the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi) ([link removed]) presented a submission ahead of the 139th session of the Human Rights Committee taking place between October 9 and November 3, 2023.

[link removed]

To facilitate additional knowledge sharing, our submission is now available in this report, which we hope will inspire other CSOs to participate in these processes. This report, ‘Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee over the USA’s Failure to Uphold the Rights of Women and Girls in All Their Diversity ([link removed]) ,’ highlights the need for the United States of America to sign on and ratify other core international human rights treaties especially the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to ensure that women and girls in all their diversity enjoy the full protection of international law.
Read More In Our Press Release ([link removed])


** 🗓️ SAVE THE DATE! Check Out Our Upcoming Virtual Event Below
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State-run legal aid programmes have had a long history in most of the countries in South Asia. Yet, there are many common challenges that continue to impact its responsiveness and efficacy on the ground in most South Asian countries.
To get a more nuanced understanding of the current issues relating to legal aid services and to arrive at possible solutions to challenges, Equality Now, the National Council of Women Leaders, Forum for Women, Law, and Development (NCWL) ([link removed]) , Udan Women Empowerment Society ([link removed]) , Urja Trust ([link removed]) , the Centre for Equality and Justice, and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust is hosting a dialogue on: Future of Legal Aid in South Asia for Sexual Violence Offences Against Women and Girls: Lessons from the Past Five Years ([link removed]) .

Register Here ([link removed])


** Our Recent Submissions
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At Equality Now, we believe in advocating for the development and implementation of progressive laws in alignment with international law and standards and fostering environments that respect women and girls through feminist, human rights, and evidence-based advocacy.

This past month, we made submissions to Treaty Bodies, including submissions on Mexico ([link removed]) and Latin America ([link removed]) .
None of this work would be possible without your support. We are grateful for your solidarity at this moment.

In solidarity,

Niki Kandirikirira,
Global Director of Programmes

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