We work with international & regional human rights mechanisms

Our insights and expertise drive systemic change

Global progress on gender equality is only possible when human rights bodies are informed by the legal and lived realities of women and girls.

Equality Now actively contributes to the work of international and regional human rights mechanisms – including but not limited to the  United Nations, the African Union, the Council of Europe, and the Inter-American System – by providing expert legal submissions, evidence-based recommendations, and survivor-informed insights.

We use our legal expertise, as well as national and regional partnerships, to help shape global standards, support state accountability, and amplify underrepresented voices in key forums.

How we engage with human rights organisations

Legal submissions

Legal submissions to international and regional treaty bodies informed our global network of local partners

Multilateral engagement

Multilateral engagement in moments like the UN General Assembly 

 

Technical inputs

Technical inputs to shape emerging human rights frameworks like the Global Digital Compact

 

Delivering legal reform through global influence

From the UN Commission on the Status of Women to international and regional treaty body reviews, our inputs help shape legal frameworks that hold countries accountable.

In 2024, we made 78 legal submissions covering 38 countries to UN, regional, and national bodies and authorities. So far, over half have directly shaped official recommendations.

We engage with:

  • Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
  • Treaty body reviews (CEDAW, HRC, CRC, CAT, etc.)
  • Special Rapporteurs on violence against women, digital rights, and trafficking
  • Regional mechanisms, including:
    • African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
    • Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

 

Learn.

Use our women’s rights around the world resource to explore legal gaps 

Connect.

Explore.

Browse our Legal Submissions & Recommendations

Explore more resources

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Access to justice without discrimination in Colombia

An in-depth report exposing how structural discrimination limits access to justice for survivors of sexual violence in Colombia, with a focus on Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and disabled girls and women.

Global backlash against women’s and girls’ rights – Words and Deeds update 2025

Equality Now’s Words & Deeds 2025 update highlights rising global threats to women’s and girls’ rights, including regressive laws, misuse of multilateral systems, increased risks for defenders and disinformation, documenting legal and policy rollbacks that undermine gender equality.

Reforming Rape Laws in Arab States: A comparative analysis of legal frameworks across 22 LAS countries

A ground-breaking legal analysis of rape laws in 22 Arab States, calling for consent-based legal reforms and justice-centred accountability for survivors.

Latest News & Insights

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26th September 2025

11 mins

Equality Culture Club: September 2025

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In Sonora, Mexico, progress is being made toward a consent-based legal reform

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Bolivia approves bill to prohibit child marriage without exceptions

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16th September 2025

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When laws fail survivors: How rape definitions and penalties in the Arab States undermine justice

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5th September 2025

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New research reveals legal systems across Arab League countries are failing rape survivors 

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4th September 2025

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Millions of women are still denied equal citizenship rights – here’s why it matters

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27th August 2025

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Gen Z is reshaping the future of advocacy in the Middle East and North Africa

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26th August 2025

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Central African Republic ratifies the Maputo Protocol, becoming the 46th African Union Member State to commit to advancing women’s rights

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