16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence starts this week, a time every year when individuals and organizations around the world take action in a myriad of ways – from public protests to petitions, from seminars to sit-ins. Equality Now’s theme this year for 16 Days is “Changing Laws, Changing Lives”.
Every day, women and girls around the world face violence and discrimination. A third of all women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, regardless of age or background, and almost every country in the world has laws that treat women and girls as second-class citizens. Sexual exploitation, violence, harmful cultural practices, and systemic inequalities violate their human rights and prevent them from reaching their potential.
Our vision is of a world in which all human rights are fully protected and where everyone can enjoy equal treatment under the law, regardless of their gender. Through a combination of strategic advocacy and mutual collaboration with our global network of regional, national, and international partners, we generate legal and systemic change in every part of the world.
We are committed to unlocking the potential of future generations of women and girls by changing laws to change their lives and the world around us.
The process of changing laws to achieve gender equality begins with collaboration and knowledge sharing. To achieve this, we use a pioneering approach of mutually supportive collaboration, drawing upon the collective wisdom of a large and diverse community of women and partner organizations from around the world and combining their experience with our own legal and international human rights expertise and global resources.
We believe that legal equality is the foundation of gender equality. For this year’s 16 Days of Activism, we want more people in the world to understand the power of legal equality and how to deliver it by accessing our current library of resources.
Who can use Equality Now’s resources?
Are you a prosecutor looking for practical tips on how to better implement the law? Are you a journalist who wants to report responsibly on a challenging topic? Or are you a grassroots activist in need of something short and snappy to help others understand why the work of building a better world for women and girls matters? Chances are, we have something to support your activism.
Just a few examples of resources Equality Now and our partners have made available in 2023:
- Report: Twenty Years Of The Maputo Protocol: Where Are We Now?
- Podcast: ‘We Change the Rules’
- Report: ‘What Will The Impact Of The Metaverse Be On Human Vulnerability?’
- Factsheets: I Need the ERA
- Map: ‘US Laws against FGM – State by State’
- Words & Deeds Briefs
- Report: ‘Sexual Violence Laws In Eurasia: Towards A Consent-Based Definition’
- Factsheet: ‘FGM/C in Canada’ and Journalist Toolkit: ‘Reporting On Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – Global Edition’
How can they be used for activism, and where can I find more?
Download, read, watch, listen, learn. And then…share! Share reports and fact sheets with government officials and legislators who have the power to change the law, share podcasts and videos with activists who need to understand certain issues better, and share toolkits and manuals with legal practitioners and journalists who want to do their jobs better. Expand your knowledge so we can all keep changing laws and changing lives!
Hungry for more? You can explore more of our videos on our YouTube channel and our full range of print resources in our resource library. You can also be the first to hear of any new resources by joining our Change Makers Network.