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Dear John
As the world celebrates International Day of Families, millions of women and girls across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) do not have the security and safety a family can bring. Discriminatory family laws across the region are failing to protect women and girls.
When women and girls are barred from enjoying full equality in the family, they are prevented from participating in other areas of community and national life, including the professional sphere, politics, and education. Their physical and mental health, as well as their safety, are also negatively affected.
Across the region, women and girls are feeling the impact of discriminatory family laws:
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In Egypt, 86% of women report experiencing spousal abuse
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In Algeria, mothers lose custody of their children when they remarry
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In Yemen, 32% of girls are married before they are 18
It is time for change. Equality Now is building a feminist movement of young women, women’s rights organizations, activists, legal experts, and decision-makers to tackle gaps in Family Laws and support women and girls to realize their rights. Under the Young Women for Awareness, Agency, Accountability, and Advocacy (YW4A) partnership, Equality Now is supporting national partners in Egypt, Palestine, Kenya, and South Sudan to lobby for reform and proper implementation of domestic violence bills.
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