Hello JOhn,

Today is #GivingTuesdayNow, a new global day of giving and unity that’s happening as an emergency response to the need caused by COVID-19. It’s a day organized around the belief that generosity has the power to unite and heal communities in good times and bad, and that now is an opportunity to come together as a global community. We couldn’t agree more.

We know women and girls will experience this crisis differently to men and boys. Equality Now’s priorities are achieving gender equality in the long-term, monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls rights and working with our networks to find solutions. But we need your support.

Here’s a snapshot of our campaign work in just the last two weeks which would not have been possible without you.

VICTORY: Sierra Leone lifts discriminatory ban on pregnant girls attending school 

The government of Sierra Leone finally lifted the discriminatory ban that prohibits pregnant schoolgirls from attending school, heralding the beginning of a remarkable era for adolescent girls in the country. In the case we filed, along with partners Women Against Violence in Society (W.A.V.E.S) and Child Welfare Society, and in collaboration with the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), the Court held that the policy was discriminatory against schoolgirls in Sierra Leone as it barred pregnant schoolgirls from attending mainstream schools; and only allowed them to get their education in “special” schools that operated three days a week and only taught four subjects.

Read more about today’s victory on our blog.

FGM/C is global, but so is the movement to end it

Equality Now, along with our partners (the End FGM European Network and the US End FGM/C Network) released a new report: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Call for a Global Response that shines a spotlight on the presence of harmful practices in 90+ countries and calls for urgent action. 

The report is a call to governments, the international community, and donors to recognize FGM/C as a global issue, requiring urgent global attention. The report contains the stories of women from across cultures, communities, and countries who were cut & are now raising their voices to call for global action to end the practice.

COVID-19: Monitoring the effects on women and girls

COVID-19 is exposing and exacerbating gender inequalities around the world. Each week, we have been sharing insights from Equality Now experts about how women’s and girls’ lives are being affected by the pandemic and what can be done to address these challenges. Topics have included how school closures across Africa could impact girls, the impact that online court hearings in Latin America are having on some victims of gender-based crime and how Russia is failing to protect victims of domestic violence.

I hope you’ll join us, this #GivingTuesdayNow, by making a donation of $25 to support our work. We rely on supporters like you to help prevent human rights violations and protect women and girls every day, and we are not slowing down now. Thank you.

In solidarity,

Emma Thompson
Director of Communications