Dear JOhn,

Human Rights Day was first celebrated in 1950. When Equality Now was formed in 1992, human rights abuses that happened to men were "political" and of international concern, while violations against women were considered "cultural" and of local concern. Domestic violence was just life. Female genital mutilation and child marriage, were customs left to countries to change (or not) as they saw fit and sex trafficking and sex tourism were not even named as issues of international legal concern. In short--human rights did not fully include women. For the past nearly 30 years, Equality Now has worked to change that.

If women and girls are not equal under the law, then true gender equality is impossible. The law is a critical tool in holding governments accountable when they violate the rights of women and girls. Central to Equality Now’s mission is ensuring that international, regional, and national laws prohibit all forms of gender-based violence and promote gender equality.

While we have seen amazing gains over the past three decades, there has been a concerted pushback against this progress in the past several years. From decriminalizing domestic abuse in Russia to rolling back reproductive rights in the United States, there is a proliferation of anti-women laws around the world. We need your help to hold the line against this regression.

Equality Now partners with organizations around the world who work to protect, promote, and extend gender equality. Success is only possible when all voices are at the table, together advocating for laws that represent the needs of many, not just a few.

Will you join us in this important work and help us build a just world for all women and girls?

In solidarity,

Yasmeen Hassan
Global Executive Director