17th October 2025
14 mins
Statement By Equality Now on the Occasion of the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights
Legal equality doesn’t stop at lawmaking. Laws have to be implemented correctly. This requires justice systems that are equipped and committed to upholding the rights of all women and girls.
That’s why we partner with judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers worldwide, ensuring that survivors are met with systems that protect rather than punish, and that justice is accessible, not aspirational.
At Equality Now, we bring our deep legal expertise into courtrooms, training rooms, and policy circles. We support justice sector professionals to interpret and apply the law in line with international human rights standards, and we develop practical tools that put those standards into action.
Through legal resources, capacity-building, and technical assistance, we support professionals to:
We support legal professionals around the world to strengthen gender-sensitive justice systems.
“The Bench Book will go a long way to sensitise judicial personnel, including Judges, magistrates, prosecutors, advocates, and probation officers. It will equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to identify potential victims, respond to their needs for support and protection, and adopt a human rights-based, victim-centred, gender- and child-sensitive, and trauma-informed approach to handling cases” – Honourable Chief Justice Martha Koome
> Explore the Kenya Judicial Bench Book on Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation, developed with the International Association of Women Judges, this guide helps Kenyan courts apply the law effectively in trafficking cases.
Sign up to our strengthening justice series to receive clear, expert-led insights on the legal and policy changes needed to drive lasting change to end sexual violence