Equality Now

📢 Amazing news from the Gambia! The parliament has rejected the Bill attempting to repeal the anti-FGM ban in the Women’s (Amendment) Act. Equality Now commends the government including the National Assembly for upholding the anti-FGM law and standing with Gambian women and girls to ensure their protection from FGM. Back in August 2023, the Kaur/Kuntaur Magistrates’ Court convicted three women for performing #FGM on eight adolescent girls. This landmark judgment marked the first conviction of its kind since the enactment of the law banning FGM eight years prior. In response to the conviction, in September 2023, religious leaders and select members of parliament initiated public discussions seeking to repeal the Women’s Act to introduce ‘consent’ to FGM for women who wish to go through FGM as part of their culture or religion. The decision by Gambian lawmakers to uphold the Women’s (Amendment) Act is not only commendable but also sets a crucial precedent in the protection of laws against regression. This landmark decision is a beacon of progress and demonstrates Gambia’s commitment to international and regional human rights agreements. We recognize that the law is fundamental in serving as the foundation from which we all draw protections from violations. #EndFGM #WomensRights #HumanRights #ViolenceAgainstWomen #VAWG #GenderEquality #LegalEquality #LegalReform #TheGambia #Africa

Sexual violence, rape and killing of women everywhere must stop now. Read our statement on the brutal rape and murder of a young woman in Kolkata, here: https://buff.ly/4e1GSLE #EndSexualViolence

This #WomensEqualityDay we echo the call of the American Bar Association urging the entire legal community as well as all federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to support implementation of the Equal Rights Amendment #ERA to the Constitution! This #WED2024 we need the ERA more than ever before. Swipe left to learn more. Read the full resolution here: https://buff.ly/4fUB9J7 Download our ERA factsheet here: https://buff.ly/3YWuh81

Catch up on the latest Equality Now news and insights from across the world this week: ➡️The Global Digital Compact & You Read: https://buff.ly/4dz55Ji ➡️Nothing About Us Without Us: Establishing Good Sexual Violence Laws for Survivors with Disabilities Read: https://buff.ly/4dUYwQV ➡️Financial Rights in the MENA Region: The Struggle for Equitable Division of Marital Properties Post-Divorce Read: https://buff.ly/3AzHZDD ➡️Iraq’s Parliament May Allow Girls as Young as 9 Years Old to Marry Read: https://buff.ly/4cL6jA4

Screening of ‘The Beginning’ – Insia Dariwala's powerful short film on the practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in India was held recently. We are working with Sahiyo and other regional partners in India, to raise awareness about the harmful practice, amplify survivor voices, and advocate for Asian governments to take action to end FGM/C, including through pressure from international human rights bodies. This film aims to raise awareness and amplify the ongoing efforts to end FGM/C in India. For more information on FGM/C, download our toolkit ➡️https://buff.ly/3WTX4ri #FGM #EndFGM

We've all heard about the glass ceiling. But did you know women leaders who finally break through it in times of crisis and high risk are led onto a glass cliff, set up for failure? This systemic gender discrimination has been explored by Australian researcher Michelle Ryan, whom we invited as a guest speaker for our podcast 'We Change the Rules' last year. 👇 https://lnkd.in/dXz5XacW Learn more about her research in Episode 4, where we look at the factors holding global progress on gender equality back, and discover the importance of female representation at the leadership level: https://lnkd.in/eh2jXefd Global Institute for Women's Leadership - ANU

In Episode 4 of We Change The Rules, Michele Goodwin, Director of the UCI Law Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy, reveals how the history of colonialism and slavery in the US has led to a current lack of constitutional equality for women and girls. “Women’s representation in political office is critical to forging equality in society and advancing the rule of law. This should not come as a surprise, considering that when women are shut out of political office or poorly represented, their interests are often subordinated, overlooked, or rendered invisible. And, make no mistake, women’s concerns are broad and deep, from voting rights and education to healthcare, employment, and the environment.” Listen now 👉 https://lnkd.in/dFF6sUa5 University of California, Irvine School of Law #WeChangeTheRules #Podcast #HumanRights #WomensRights #LegalEquality #GenderEquality  #GenderJustice #GenderDiscrimination #WomenLeaders

📣 We advocate for change. Bringing together our partners, as well as amplifying survivor voices and utilizing the media, helps create legal change. In 2023, our global team worked across 22 countries to advocate for the improvement of the rights of women and girls in 82 countries 🌎 We advocate for the development and implementation of progressive laws and jurisprudence in alignment with international law and standards. We foster environments that respect women and girls through feminist, human rights, and evidence-based advocacy. Find out more about our impact at https://buff.ly/46CS4eZ #Impact #WomensRights #GenderEquality

Don’t miss out: Applications for the 3rd edition of the Africa Gender Equality Moot Court Competition (AGEMCC) 2024, hosted by Equality Now in partnership with the SOAWR Coalition and Kenyatta University School of Law are ongoing! The competition, open to law undergraduate students across the continent, will offer a unique opportunity for participants to delve into the complexities of commercial surrogacy in Africa and develop their legal research and advocacy skills. Learn more and register at https://buff.ly/4fJ1nhD The deadline for registration is 30 August 2024. Ne manquez pas cette occasion : Les candidatures pour la 3e édition de l'Africa Gender Equality Moot Court Competition (AGEMCC) 2024, organisée par Equality Now en partenariat avec la Coalition SOAWR et la Faculté de droit de l'Université Kenyatta, sont en cours ! Le concours, ouvert aux étudiants de premier cycle en droit de tout le continent, offrira une occasion unique aux participants de se plonger dans les complexités de la maternité de substitution commerciale en Afrique et de développer leurs compétences en matière de recherche juridique et de plaidoyer. Pour en savoir plus et s'inscrire, consultez le site https://buff.ly/4fJ1nhD La date limite d'inscription est fixée au 30 août 2024. #AGEMCC2024 #MootCourt #MaputoProtocol

This week we're in Zimbabwe for the SADC People's Summit. Whether you're #Harare or want to join us online, join our event on Promoting Implementation of the SADC Model Law on Ending Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already In Marriage today from 2 pm to 4 pm (Central African Time). Register now: https://buff.ly/3Apxlzn Head to our website for more information on our work to #EndChildMarriage in Southern Africa and around the world: https://buff.ly/4dpmnbx #WomensRights #AfricanWomensRights #GirlsRights