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* Why consent must be the legal baseline: insights from the Pelicot case
* Calling FGM what it is: a global health emergency
* How coalitions are powering legal reform across regions

Dear John

At Equality Now, we believe that changing the law is just the beginning. Behind every reform is a movement, built by survivors, lawyers, activists, and advocates.

As Global Executive Director of Equality Now, I bring you this month’s digest as a reflection of what we’ve achieved together, and the work still ahead. From New York to Nairobi, we’re seeing the power of collective action in turning promises into progress.

* This month, we honoured the Pelicot family with our Courage Award ([link removed]) at our Make Equality Reality Gala. Their bravery in speaking out about Gisele’s decade-long abuse has reignited calls for legal reform. Their case exposed a deep flaw: under French law, rape still requires proof of force or coercion, not lack of consent. It’s a standard that fails survivors.
At Equality Now, we’re calling for
consent ([link removed]) to be the global legal baseline. Silence is not a yes. Survivors shouldn’t have to prove the use of force to be believed.
* At the World Health Summit ([link removed]) , we and our partners called on health leaders to not treat female genital mutilation (FGM) as a cultural issue, but as the global health crisis it is.
The
medicalisation of FGM is rising in Asia ([link removed]) , yet FGM remains absent from many national health agendas. We’re urging governments to act: integrate strategies to end FGM into health systems, end its medicalisation, and provide survivor-centred care. This isn’t just a harmful tradition, it’s a human rights emergency.

Legal reform doesn’t happen in isolation. Behind every change in law or policy is a web of relationships, between survivors, activists, legal experts, governments, and movements. At Equality Now, we don’t just advocate for change. We convene the people ([link removed]) who make it happen.

This past month, our global convening power was on full display:
* At the UN General Assembly ([link removed]) , we helped ensure that feminist voices were heard and rights-based solutions put forward. We brought legal tools, regional evidence and survivor voices into spaces where decisions are made, and where feminist participation is often sidelined.

* At our Make Equality Reality Gala ([link removed]) , we saw what community looks like when joy and justice meet. We celebrated over $1 million raised, but more than that, we celebrated the people behind the work: from youth advocates to frontline experts, from donors to artists, from trailblazers to the next generation. We also recognised the incredible contributions of our own Antonia Kirkland ([link removed]) , whose tireless advocacy has shaped so much of Equality Now’s global legal work.

* Across 38 coalitions ([link removed]) , from SOAWR ([link removed]) in Africa, to SAMAJ ([link removed]) in South Asia, to the Hurra Coalition ([link removed]) in the Middle East and North Africa, we are helping to build ecosystems of change. Our role is often less visible, connecting actors, amplifying local efforts, pushing legal frameworks into policy agendas, and helping movements scale.

This is what it means to be a catalyst: not the loudest voice, but the spark that connects others and accelerates momentum. Our Theory of Change ([link removed]) is grounded in this principle: sustainable reform comes from coordinated pressure, shared strategy, and long-term partnership.

And while backlash grows stronger, so does our movement. Because together, we go further. Together, we change the law.

“Movements don’t just demand change, they show what change looks like. Building SAMAJ taught me that when survivors, lawyers, and activists work together across borders, we don’t just reform laws. We shift what’s possible.”

Julie Thekkudan,
South Asia Consultant, Equality Now

* In Kyrgyzstan, we’ve spoken out against proposals to reinstate the death penalty. Alongside local partners, we’re urging leaders to uphold human rights standards, not roll them back. Read our joint statement ([link removed]) . ([link removed])
* In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a landmark court ruling ([link removed]) has finally delivered justice to survivors of wartime sexual violence. It’s a powerful step forward in a region where impunity has prevailed for too long.
* In India, we welcomed a major recognition by the, Chief Justice of India which acknowledged the existence of FGM in the country for the first time. It’s a vital move toward protecting survivors and catalysing legal reform. Read our response ([link removed]) . ([link removed]) [link removed]
* In Kenya, our podcast A Roving Podcast: Gender Justice Conversations ([link removed]) has been named a finalist in the Anthem Awards. Created with local influencers and partners, it highlights the gap between progressive laws and the lived realities of survivors. We’re also nominated for the Anthem Community Voice Award, which is determined by public vote. Cast your vote by 30 October ([link removed]) .
* Across Eastern and Southern Africa, we’ve launched two new policy briefs ([link removed]) with the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), providing urgent guidance on ending child marriage. These briefs address both emerging drivers, including climate change, migration, conflict, and digital technology, and protection measures for children already in marriage.

* 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
Begins 25 November, stay tuned for actions, stories, and ways to engage.
* Webinar: Exploring the links between child marriage and family laws in South Asia
Join us on 5 November with the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law, for a regional webinar to examine how personal and family laws impact efforts to end child marriage among minority communities in South Asia. Register here ([link removed]) .


In solidarity,

Mona Sinha
Global Executive Director,
Equality Now

P.S. Help us tailor updates to what matters most to you. Click here to update your details ([link removed]) .

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