Achieve legal equality
In every part of the world, women and girls are prevented from fully participating in society by discrimination in the law.
Policy & Practice
Explore in-depth resources on women’s rights issues, including sexual violence, sexual exploitation, harmful practices, and legal discrimination from our expert network of lawyers and activists.
1
2
3
5 May 2026
As the African Commission adopts a new Advocacy Framework to strengthen implementation of the Maputo Protocol, a parallel effort to introduce a regressive Charter risks undermining decades of progress. Equality Now calls for decisive action to safeguard existing protections, ensure accountability from Member States, and work collaboratively with community leaders to advance a future where the rights of women and girls are fully realised.
5 May 2026
Equality Now’s shadow report calls for urgent reform of discriminatory nationality laws across Africa that deny women equal rights to confer citizenship to their children and spouses. These laws heighten the risk of statelessness, poverty, family separation, and violence, undermining the fundamental right to nationality.
Grounded in regional advocacy and human rights standards, the report urges African Union Member States to enshrine gender equality in nationality laws, centre affected communities in reform processes, and sign and ratify the AU Nationality Protocol without delay.
27 April 2026
27 pages
Our Guide To Advocating For Women’s Rights Using International Human Rights Mechanisms offers information on the available mechanisms and different methods of engagement at the international level
From discrimination in the law to ending sexual violence and harmful practices, explore resources from our worldwide expert team.
In every part of the world, women and girls are prevented from fully participating in society by discrimination in the law.
Child, early, and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU) affect millions of girls globally.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) affects at least 230 million women and girls globally.
Harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child marriage, deny millions of women and girls their fundamental rights.
The internet and digital technology have opened new possibilities for human progress and also new opportunities for harm.
The sexual exploitation and abuse of women and girls, in both physical and digital spaces, is on a disturbing upward trajectory.
Sexual violence is a human rights violation that impacts millions of people around the world. The vast majority of victims are women and girls, while almost all perpetrators are men.
The laws that restrict women’s property, marriage and inheritance rights are among the least reformed areas of law globally.
Women in over 45 countries still cannot pass their nationality to children or spouses on equal terms with men.
1
2
3
22 September 2025
12 pages
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.
9 September 2025
64 pages
A ground-breaking legal analysis of rape laws in 22 Arab States, calling for consent-based legal reforms and justice-centred accountability for survivors.
4 March 2025
43 pages
This is the sixth edition in our Words & Deeds series that exposes how governments have failed to repeal or amend sex-discriminatory laws and highlights the urgent reforms to achieve full legal equality for women and girls.