25th سبتمبر 2024

Georgia – Third party intervention before the European Court of Human Rights, September 2024

Equality Now and the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre submitted a joint third-party intervention before the European Court of Human Rights in the case of M.D. v. Georgia. The case concerns allegations of insufficient and ineffective criminal investigation into the applicant’s claims of sexual assault. It further concerns the applicant’s alleged re-victimisation during the investigation.

What’s included in the submission?

The submission aims to:

  • Analyse the shortcomings in the definitions of sexual violence crimes within Georgian law and identify challenges in enforcing these laws.
  • Examine sexual violence as a crime of discrimination and the multiple layers of discrimination inherent in such cases, as well as explore how discrimination manifests in the mishandling of such cases by the authorities.

Who’s it for?

  • The European Court for Human Rights
  • Law and policymakers
  • Legal professionals
  • Government institutions

Download your file

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Key recommendations

  • It is submitted that inequality of treatment of women victims/survivors of gender-based violence and, in particular, sexual violence is intrinsic to this form of abuse. Female victims/survivors are attacked because they are women, and this form of abuse affects women disproportionately.
  • It is submitted that there are at least two clear legal purposes for routinely examining Article 14 of the ECHR in this context:
    • Identifying and addressing the multiple layers of discrimination inherent in gender crimes and
    • Exposing and remedying the impact of intersecting vulnerabilities that facilitate and perpetuate these crimes, where relevant.

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Submission to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Promotion Mission to Zimbabwe

Equality Now, together with Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association, and FEMNET, submitted recommendations to the African Commission urging stronger protections for women’s rights, gender equality, refugee rights, prison reforms, and gender-responsive AI governance in Zimbabwe.

Moldova: Joint Stakeholder Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review 54th Session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council

Read our joint UN submission calling on Moldova to strengthen laws, access to justice and survivor support to address gender-based violence against women and girls, including those facing intersecting discrimination.

Ukraine: Joint Stakeholder Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review 54th Session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council

Read our joint UN submission assessing Ukraine’s progress, gaps and measures needed to strengthen responses to gender-based violence against women and girls, including in the context of ongoing armed conflict.

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