View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
** In this month’s digest
------------------------------------------------------------
* The Global Rollback on Human Rights
* Gender Equality Across the Globe
* The Upcoming Commission on the Status of Women
** Dear John,
------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to this month's digest from Equality Now, where as the Global Director of Programs, and using my 30+ years of experience in gender policy and social justice, I share with you insights and updates about our work on advancing equality for women and girls through transformative legal change.
As we mark 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action ([link removed]) , we are not only reporting on the slow progress towards legal equality ([link removed]) but witnessing the purposeful undermining of human rights. In many parts of the world, vital protections for women, LGBTQ+ communities, and other marginalized groups are under attack. Now, more than ever, our commitment to legal equality must be defended.
- Niki Kandirikirira, Global Director of Programs, Equality Now
** What’s top of my mind:
------------------------------------------------------------
* Coordinated Backlash: Authoritarian regimes and nationalist movements are dismantling legal safeguards, undermining hard-won rights for women and marginalized communities. We need to hold these regimes accountable by amplifying advocacy efforts and supporting initiatives that challenge such oppressive policies.
* Widespread Discrimination: From restrictions on reproductive rights to sweeping legal measures against LGBTQ+ communities, regressive policies are eroding international human rights standards. It is essential to mobilize support for legal reforms and raise awareness to counteract these discriminatory practices.
* Urgent Accountability: The Beijing Platform for Action remains a critical roadmap, urging governments to honor their commitments and ensure justice through robust legal reforms. We must actively engage with policymakers and civil society to demand that international commitments translate into concrete legal protections.
** In Focus: New Research Highlights Status of 1995 Beijing Commitments and Why Legal Equality Still Matters
------------------------------------------------------------
Our latest report, Words & Deeds: Holding Governments Accountable in the Beijing+30 Review ([link removed]) , offers a sobering look at how legal systems, once meant to protect human rights, are increasingly being weaponized to reinforce inequality. The findings reveal that legal protections for women, girls, and marginalized communities are not only at risk but are being actively dismantled in various regions across the globe. The report also contains country-specific examples of sex-discriminatory laws still in force, from economic and marital status to protection from violence.
What Does This Mean for Women and Girls?
Women and girls are bearing the brunt of these regressive policies. In many nations, rollback measures have curtailed access to reproductive healthcare, and threatened the right to be free from sexual violence and harmful practices, perpetuating cycles of economic and social dependency. These shifts threaten not only individual freedoms but also the broader strides made towards achieving gender equality over the past three decades.
Our Expert Says…
"These regressive laws and policies are not just abstract setbacks—they are real, systemic assaults on women's and girls’ rights. In 2025, billions of women still live without full legal equality, their access to healthcare, marriage, divorce, and inheritance undermined by discriminatory laws. This isn't merely a violation of human rights; it's a barrier to economic and social progress.
“When half the world's population is sidelined, we not only trap communities in cycles of poverty but also forgo $trillions ([link removed]) in potential global prosperity. Achieving gender equality is not just a moral imperative—it's a pathway to unleashing the full economic and social potential of our societies."
- Antonia Kirkland, Global Lead, Legal Equality and Access to Justice, Equality Now
Learn more ([link removed])
** Across the Globe: Expert Analysis in Brief
------------------------------------------------------------
* Our analysis of recent changes to Iraq’s Personal Status Law ([link removed]) reveals how certain legal amendments could undermine decades of progress in protecting children and women's rights. We call for unified family law reforms that prioritize safety, equality, and justice.
* On the two year anniversary of the historic ruling in the case of Brisa Angulo Losada vs. Bolivia, our Regional Representative in Latin America and the Caribbean, Bárbara Jiménez-Santiago, discusses the case - watch in Spanish here ([link removed]) .
* Dozens of Georgian women protesters are testifying about the verbal or physical assault by Georgian police. Equality Now stands in solidarity with Georgian women’s quest for human rights and calls upon authorities to stop abuses. Read our full statement here ([link removed]) .
** Coming Up This Month
------------------------------------------------------------
Events at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69)
Equality Now will be attending CSW69 ([link removed]) in New York (March 10–21). We're engaging in a dynamic lineup of free, open-to-the-public events—from tackling tech-facilitated gender-based violence and exploring the potential of the Equal Rights Amendment ([link removed]) to discussions on family law reform, online safety, and ending harmful practices like FGM/C and child marriage. Discover where we’ll be ([link removed]) .
Celebrate International Women’s Day
This Saturday, March 8 is International Women’s Day ([link removed]) . Join us in celebrating women and girls, and the milestones we’ve collectively achieved thus far in securing gender equality. While times are uncertain, Equality Now feels hopeful that our collective experience and global staff’s ability to create transformational change – even in difficult contexts and against fierce opposition – will continue to bring us closer to a more gender equal world.
In solidarity,
Niki Kandirikirira
Global Director of Programs, Equality Now
============================================================
** Donate Now ([link removed])
** LinkedIn ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Website (http:s//www.equalitynow.org)
Copyright © 2025 Equality Now, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in on our website to us further contacting you about our actions and campaigns and how you can get involved, including whether you can help with a donation.
Our mailing address is:
PO Box 7160, New York, 10008-7160, USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
** Unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
[link removed]
