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* Why Latvia withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention matters
* How 16 Days of Activism is spotlighting digital sexual violence and legal reform
* Join our Human Rights Day webinar on feminist resistance to global backlash

Dear John

As Global Director of Programmes at Equality Now, I bring you this month’s digest as the world begins 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence ([link removed]) , a moment to raise our voices, strengthen movements, and demand that justice systems reflect the realities of women and girls.

In a world where violence is shifting, online and offline, our work remains clear: challenge inequality, centre consent, and ensure laws protect everyone, everywhere.

* In Latvia, the government’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention ([link removed]) is a dangerous setback. This treaty is not a threat to national values; it’s a tool to uphold them. When governments reject protections against gender-based violence, it sends a chilling message: that women’s safety is negotiable. We must push back against this trend and stand firm in defending human rights frameworks.
* At the same time, we’re seeing real progress in Latin America and the Caribbean. In Grenada, child marriage is now fully banned ([link removed]) . In Mexico, the state of Oaxaca has adopted consent-based definitions of sexual violence ([link removed]) . These are more than legal updates, they reflect growing momentum across the region to centre survivor realities and protect future generations.

As 16 Days of Activism begins, we’re spotlighting the growing threat of sexual violence in digital spaces, a form of abuse that not only mirrors and amplifies the harm women and girls already face offline, but is also giving rise to new and evolving forms of harm.

The harms are real: image-based sexual abuse, AI-generated deepfakes, online grooming, and sexual extortion are becoming more widespread. These acts violate bodily autonomy, cause lasting trauma, and disproportionately target women, girls, LGBTQ+ individuals, and marginalised communities.

The response is lagging behind. Many justice systems still treat sexual violence as a physical act, ignoring how power and control are weaponised through technology. Legal definitions based on force, rather than consent ([link removed]) , fail to reflect how abuse actually happens in both digital and physical spaces.

We’re advocating for legal frameworks that:
* Centre consent as the basis for all sexual violence laws
* Address online harms explicitly, including non-consensual deepfakes and digitally facilitated exploitation
* Prioritise survivor protection across all justice systems, regardless of where the violence takes place

Through our global legal advocacy and as co-founders of the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi) ([link removed]) , we are pushing governments and international bodies to act, because justice must evolve with the ways violence is being committed.

“Whether it happens in person or through a screen, sexual violence is still violence. If the law doesn’t recognise that, survivors are left without protection and without justice.”

Amanda Manyame,
Digital Rights Advisor, Equality Now

For expert-led insights on the legal and policy reforms needed to end sexual violence, join our Strengthening Justice series.
Subscribe now + ([link removed])
* In Southern Africa, we’re marking one year of partnership with the ([link removed]) Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum ([link removed]) (SADC PF). Together, we are advancing legislative change to end child marriage and gender-based violence.

* In the Middle East and North Africa, the Hurra Coalition is amplifying calls to reform discriminatory family laws ([link removed]) that deny women equal rights in marriage, divorce, custody, and inheritance.
* Across the Americas, we participated in a historic Inter-American Human Rights hearing ([link removed]) to spotlight the rising, yet often hidden, practice of female genital mutilation.
* In Kenya we’re proud to share that Equality Now’s podcast Gender Justice Conversations ([link removed]) has won Silver at the 5th Annual Anthem Awards ([link removed]) in the Human & Civil Rights category. Created with local partners and changemakers, this series lifts up survivor voices and highlights the urgent need for justice reform.
* Across Africa, the Africa Family Law Network ([link removed]) (AFLN) is now officially open for membership. Launched by Equality Now and partners in 2022, AFLN is a cross-sectoral alliance driving progressive family law reform in line with regional and international human rights standards.

* Giving Tuesday
This 2 December, support a cause that’s close to your heart. Women and girls often take a backseat in our world, and that includes in the realm of philanthropy. Less than 2% of funding goes toward causes benefiting women and girls. That’s why we hope you’ll think of Equality Now this Giving Tuesday and give early in support of our work ([link removed]) . With your help, we can continue to build a gender-equal world ([link removed]) and support a brighter future for all women and girls.
* International Day of Persons with Disabilities
On 3 December, we mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities by highlighting a critical truth: women and girls with disabilities are at heightened risk of sexual violence and are routinely excluded from justice due to inaccessible systems, harmful biases, and institutional neglect.
Coinciding with the day, our upcoming report examines the barriers facing survivors in Central Asia and exposes how legal frameworks are failing to protect those most at risk. Justice must be accessible to all. It’s time for laws and systems to reflect that.
* Webinar: Holding the Line: Solidarity in the face of the global backlash against women’s and girls’ rights.
This Human Rights Day, 10 December, hear from Equality Now experts from Africa, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America to share how this global backlash has manifested itself in their regions, what Equality Now and our partners are doing to combat it, what we can learn from these experiences, and the importance of feminist movements to holding the line for hard-won rights.

Register here + ([link removed])

In solidarity,

Niki Kandirikirira
Global Director of Programmes
Equality Now

P.S. Follow us on Instagram ([link removed]) as we share more legal insights and actions over the next 16 days.

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