Overview
Across Asia, women and girls from marginalized communities, for example, Dalit women, face additional barriers to justice. Aside from sexual violence, women across Asia are often not valued as equals to men in their country’s laws and the practice of female genital mutilation occurs across some communities in the region, without laws against it.
Equality Now in Asia at a glance
Analyzing rape laws across South Asia. Our 2021 report, Sexual Violence in South Asia, found rape laws across South Asia are insufficient, inconsistent, and poorly enforced
Amplifying the voices of marginalized women and girls. Following our 2020 report, Justice Denied, we’ve continued to amplify the urgent conversation on caste-based sexual violence in India at national and international levels
Advocating for laws to protect girls and women. In 2009, we took on the case of a 15-year-old Pakistani girl who was raped by her father, getting the highest penalty under the law for the perpetrator in 2011. We used the case to advocate for a law against incest.
Achieving Legal Equality
Countries across the region have laws that treat people differently on the basis of sex.
Ending Sexual Exploitation
Online sexual exploitation and abuse is a growing issue for women and girls across the region
Ending Sexual Violence
Laws in some countries fail to criminalize marital rape or provide exceptions for perpetrators
Ending Harmful Practices
Female genital mutilation occurs across some communities in the region, with few countries explicitly criminalizing the practice, and girls are also at risk of child marriage across the region.
Our work
Equality Now works with partners in the region, particularly in South Asia, to campaign for stronger laws and practices around sexual violence to ensure that women and girls, especially from the most marginalized groups, are fully protected from violence, supports activists working to end female genital mutilation, as well as working to end inequalities in the law.
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Key resources
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors – 2024 Update
Our 2021 report, Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice, co-authored by Equality Now and Dignity Alliance International, analyzed gaps …
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Information on Singapore for Consideration by the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women at its 88th Session, May 2024
We respectfully present this report to supplement the sixth periodic report submitted by Singapore scheduled for …
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Malaysia – Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, May 2024
Family Frontiers (FF), Nationality for All (NFA), the Statelessness and Dignified Citizenship Coalition – Asia Pacific (SDCC – AP), the Global Campaign for …
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Explore the Full Resource Library
Countries
Equality Now works with partners across the region to hold governments accountable for protecting the rights of women and girls. Explore progress towards gender equality across the region.
Explore by country
Afghanistan
In August 2021, the Taliban regime took control of the country, leaving the last twenty years of progress for women in Afghanistan at risk.
In February 2021, 27 % of seats in parliament were held by women, according to UN Women
Currently, women’s rights are severely restricted, despite constitutional protections
Women’s rights activists are continuing to demand their rights, despite threats of violence and intimidation by the Taliban
Bangladesh
Protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence in Bangladesh.
The definition of rape in Bangladesh is narrowly applied to include peno-vaginal penetration only
Bangladeshi law explicitly permits marital rape of adult women in all circumstances
Unofficial estimates suggest that the conviction rate in rape cases in Bangladesh between 2002-2016 was 3%.
Key Resources for Bangladesh
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors – 2024 Update
Our 2021 report, Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice, co-authored by Equality Now and Dignity Alliance International, analyzed gaps…
READ MORE
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors
Protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence in South Asia. Recent and widespread public…
READ MORE
Bhutan
In addition to low rates of reporting of sexual violence cases, there are still a number of protection gaps in the law and other barriers to justice that deny survivors in Bhutan access to justice.
Marital rape is explicitly criminalized in all circumstances, but is only considered a petty misdemeanor
Bhutan’s law allows the introduction of evidence as to the past sexual history of the victim during the trial process in rape cases in certain circumstances
As well as compensation to the survivor, Bhutanese law provides for compensation to be paid to the husband when a married woman is raped
Key Resources for Bhutan
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors – 2024 Update
Our 2021 report, Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice, co-authored by Equality Now and Dignity Alliance International, analyzed gaps…
READ MORE
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors
Protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence in South Asia. Recent and widespread public…
READ MORE
Bhutan Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) 80th Session 2021
This submission details our concerns with regard to laws related to rape and other forms of sexual violence and procedures and practices which effectively…
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India
Survivors of sexual violence face barriers to justice, including a culture of shame that shifts blame onto the survivors. These barriers are magnified for those from marginalized communities, including Dalit and Adivasi women.
Caste-based sexual violence is endemic in India, with around 10 Dalit women and girls raped every day according to data from India’s National Crime Records Bureau statistics from 2020
India’s law does not explicitly criminalize marital rape
Despite evidence of FGM happening in India, there is no specific legal prohibition against female genital mutilation and the Indian government fails to acknowledge the issue
Key Resources for India
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors – 2024 Update
Our 2021 report, Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice, co-authored by Equality Now and Dignity Alliance International, analyzed gaps…
READ MORE
Words and Deeds: Sex Discrimination in Violence Laws
The 4th UN Conference on Women in 1995 was the birth of The Beijing Platform for Action, the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women’s rights. Governments around the world pledged to change or remove their existing…
READ MORE
India – UPR Joint Submission 2022
This submission outlines the gaps in protection of the rights of women and girls in India from the harmful practice of FGM/C, provides critical information on the prevalence of FGM/C/Khafz within the country, and provides recommendations on the…
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Maldives
Though sexual violence had traditionally been considered as a private matter in Maldives, in recent years, there has been increasing public awareness of the issue.
In the Maldives marital rape is only criminalized under certain circumstances and there are burdensome and discriminatory evidence requirements to prove rape
There are very low levels of reporting of rape cases despite high prevalence
National level data on the prevalence of FGM, at 13% of women and girls aged 15-49 but only 1% among girls aged 0-14.
Key Resources for Maldives
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors – 2024 Update
Our 2021 report, Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice, co-authored by Equality Now and Dignity Alliance International, analyzed gaps…
READ MORE
Sexual Violence in the Maldives: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors
Protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence in South Asia, including in the…
READ MORE
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors
Protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence in South Asia. Recent and widespread public…
READ MORE
Nepal
The critical issue of sexual violence has received more attention from the public and policy makers in Nepal in recent times, with widespread protests in 2018.
Nepal has seen an increase in reported cases of rape, with 2230 reported rape cases in the fiscal year 2018-19
Nepal’s statute of limitation for rape cases requires complaints to be filed within one year of the date of the incident
An ordinance passed by Nepal’s President in December 2020 which increased penalties for rape, and made it an offence to force rape victims to mediate cases was not passed into law.
Key Resources for Nepal
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors – 2024 Update
Our 2021 report, Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice, co-authored by Equality Now and Dignity Alliance International, analyzed gaps…
READ MORE
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors
Protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence in South Asia. Recent and widespread public…
READ MORE
Sexual Violence in Nepal: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors
Protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence in South Asia, including in…
READ MORE
Pakistan
In Pakistan, there is no specific law on incest in the penal code and, given the conservative nature of society, issues such as rape and incest are surrounded by stigma and are very difficult to address.
Pakistan’s Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984, provides that women’s testimony is worth half that of men in certain civil matters.
The Lahore High Court declared the “two-finger test” unconstitutional in January 2021
FGM is known to take place in Pakistan within the Bohra community
Key Resources for Pakistan
Words and Deeds: Sex Discrimination in Violence Laws
The 4th UN Conference on Women in 1995 was the birth of The Beijing Platform for Action, the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women’s rights. Governments around the world pledged to change or remove their existing…
READ MORE
Learning From Cases of Girls’ Rights
Representing the knowledge gained from cases undertaken as part of Equality Now’s Adolescent Girls’ Legal Defense Fund (AGLDF), this report identifies and addresses the common obstacles faced by adolescent girls in their pursuit of justice….
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A Struggle for Justice: Incest Victims in Pakistan Report
War Against Rape, Lahore (WAR Lahore), Nasreen Welfare Trust Legal Aid Services (NWT) and Equality Now pro-actively undertook a preliminary study on the subject of incest in Pakistan prompted by the case of a 15-year-old…
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Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence.
The law explicitly permits marital rape, including of children over the age of 12, unless the parties are judicially separated.
The law specifically allows the introduction of evidence in rape cases which shows that “the prosecutrix was of generally immoral character”.
The law applicable to the Tamil community in Jaffna restricts a married woman from dealing with her own immovable property without the written consent or her husband.
Key Resources for Sri Lanka
Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors – 2024 Update
Our 2021 report, Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice, co-authored by Equality Now and Dignity Alliance International, analyzed gaps…
READ MORE
Sri Lanka – UPR Joint Submission 2022
During the previous UPR cycle, Sri Lanka received 39 recommendations to strengthen and improve measures regarding women’s rights protection. Of these recommendations, 11 related to preventing and eliminating violence against women; including…
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Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors
Protection gaps in rape laws and barriers to accessing justice continue to lead to effective denial of justice for survivors of sexual violence in South Asia. Recent and widespread public…
READ MORE
Stories
Hear from some of the incredible survivors and activists committed to raising their voices to make equality reality across Asia and the Pacific and around the world.
Deena and Charulatha – Nepal
A mother escapes an extremely violent and abusive relationship, but with no proof of paternity, her daughter is repeatedly denied approval for citizenship paperwork, ultimately leading them to take their case to the highest court in the land. Nepali law …
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Malaysian mothers challenging discriminatory citizenship laws
A group of Malaysian mothers with children born outside the country come together with a human rights group to push for a change in the discriminatory citizenship law that has cost them and their children so much. In …
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Ruchira Gupta expert interview – India
Ruchira Gupta is the Founder-President of Apne Aap Women Worldwide and Apne Aap International, India When the pandemic started in India, there were major social and economic changes with schools closing and lessons going online. Children …
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Dr. Debarati Halder expert interview – India
Dr. Debarati Halder is Managing Director, Centre for Cyber Victims Counselling, India I have observed an explosion in different types of online victimizations targeting women and children, and it is becoming very common. I have dealt …
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