Equality Now

Creating legal and systemic change requires more than strong laws or clear goals. It requires trust, long-term strategy, deep local knowledge, and the ability to adapt approaches to complex political realities. Across the Middle East and North Africa, coalition-building and regional solidarity continue to play a critical role in advancing women’s rights, particularly in contexts where progress can be fragile and backlash increasingly organised. As Equality Now’s Regional Representative for MENA, Dima A.M. Dabbous, PhD, explains, meaningful impact is often about creating pathways for change, not simply achieving immediate endpoints. Hear more from Dima in a recent interview for our 2025 Impact Report: https://bit.ly/4wVi7uG #GenderEquality #HumanRights #LegalEquality #MovementBuilding #SocialImpact #MENA Equality Now Middle East and North Africa

The Colombian Senate has until June 20 to pass the first law against female genital mutilation (FGM) in the country’s history. That date is not theoretical: if the fourth and final debate does not take place before then, the bill will expire. Although the Senate was supposed to meet today, and the anti-FGM bill was number 13 on the debate schedule, we awoke to the news that, upon the request of several Senators of various parties, the plenary session has been postponed without a new date and time confirmed yet. FGM is not a new problem; it is a documented practice that occurs in a context where geography, poverty, and the absence of state intervention hinder the response. The available data, which experts warn is underestimated, shows 204 cases between 2020 and 2025. What is at stake with this bill is the opportunity for the Colombian state to move from merely recognising the problem to having the legal tools to address it in a coordinated manner, with an intercultural, non-punitive approach. Time is running out. “Congress is failing the indigenous women leaders and communities who have already been developing strategies to eliminate FGM in their territories,” said Leandra Becerra, Legal and Advocacy Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean at Equality Now. If you are part of an organisation or would like to add your voice as an individual, you still have time to send a letter to the Senate Steering Committee demanding that this debate be prioritised. The template is available in Spanish and English, with email addresses included, and can be found here: https://bit.ly/4tRFgLI Share this call to action. Every letter that reaches the Senate adds pressure to ensure this issue doesn’t fade into silence. #EndFGM #EqualityNow #Colombia

We’re hiring Equality Now is growing, and we’re currently recruiting for two key roles in our Development Team: 🔹 Associate Manager, Development Writer 🔹 Associate Manager, Events These remote positions offer the chance to contribute to global efforts to advance gender equality and strengthen legal protections for women and girls. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to help shape a more just world, explore the roles and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eMgBBKPm #Hiring #NewJob #Vacancies #WomensRights #GenderEquality #RemoteJobs #FundraisingJobs

Equality wins. ⚖️ This week, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) issued a landmark ruling regarding the Republic of Malawi. Following a case of sexual exploitation of a minor, the Committee found Malawi in violation of six articles of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. This case, submitted four years ago by Equality Now and our partner People Serving Girls at Risk (PSGR), highlights a systemic failure: survivors of trafficking are often failed not just by the crime, but by the very legal systems meant to protect them. What comes next? Equality Now and our partner PSGR will work with the Government of Malawi and other relevant stakeholders, every step required by this decision, and we will closely monitor compliance during the 180-day reporting period. This decision must lead to real change, better procedures, justice for perpetrators, and safety for survivors. For Maggie, and for every girl still at risk, we will keep working until the systems meant to protect children truly do. 🔗 Read our full legal analysis: https://lnkd.in/eVcuTpZy #HumanRights #ChildRights #Malawi #EqualityNow #ACERWC #StrategicLitigation #JusticeForGirls

Legal reform is only one part of creating lasting change for women and girls. Implementation, coalition-building, strategic advocacy, survivor-centred approaches, and sustained movement support all matter too. Our 2025 Impact Report explores what it takes to drive and defend progress in an increasingly complex global environment, drawing on lessons from legal reform efforts, strategic litigation, multilateral advocacy, digital rights work, and partnerships across 72 countries. Inside the report: 🔹 17 legal and policy changes supported across multiple regions 🔹 Insights from our work on implementation gaps, backlash, and movement-building 🔹 Progress on nationality rights, ending sexual violence, child marriage, and digital harms 🔹 Reflections on sustaining impact in rapidly shifting political contexts 🔹 The strategies shaping our 2026–2030 vision for accelerating legal equality worldwide Explore the impact, partnerships, and strategies helping shape a more equal future for women and girls worldwide: https://lnkd.in/e_gTCeZa #GenderEquality #LegalEquality #HumanRights #WomensRights #SocialImpact

Progress on women’s rights requires more than commitments, it requires sustained advocacy, legal reform, and collective action. In our latest Dispatch, we reflect on the conversations, challenges, and momentum shaping gender equality globally, as we prepare to share our latest Impact Report. From Women Deliver 2026 and legal developments on FGM in India, to ongoing efforts to strengthen women’s economic justice in Africa, explore some of the work and advocacy driving change worldwide. Read the full update below and subscribe for future updates https://lnkd.in/eF6ZirX9 📩 #GenderEquality #WomensRights #LegalEquality #HumanRights #EndFGM #EconomicJustice #WomenDeliver

Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it rarely happens in a straight line. As we prepare for the launch of our 2025 Impact Report, we have been reflecting on the lessons shaping Equality Now’s work across global advocacy, legal reform, survivor-centred approaches, and movement building. We’ve shared 7 key learnings from the past year, exploring what’s helping drive stronger, more sustainable impact for women and girls worldwide, and offering a preview of the insights featured in this year’s report. #GenderEquality #WomensRights #LegalEquality #HumanRights #ImpactReport

We’re delighted to welcome Aamina A. to Equality Now as our new Chief of Staff and Innovation. In this role, Aamina will serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and help advance cross-organisational priorities and alignment in support of Equality Now’s mission to achieve legal and systemic change for all women and girls. Aamina brings more than 15 years of experience across strategy, operations, and global partnerships in government, philanthropy, and international institutions. Most recently, she served as Chief Partnerships Officer at the U.S. Department of State, leading complex global security initiatives across more than 40 countries. Her previous work with UN Women’s HeForShe campaign and longstanding focus on gender equality will be a valuable addition as we continue to grow and strengthen our global impact. We’re excited to have Aamina join the team and look forward to the leadership and perspective she will bring to this next chapter of our work. Please join us in welcoming Aamina. #NewStarter #Leadership #Innovation #GenderEquality #GlobalTeam

On International Day of Families, it’s important to recognise that family law is not just about private life; it shapes access to equality, safety, and opportunity. Across many countries, discriminatory family laws continue to deny women and girls equal rights in marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance, and family life. These inequalities can limit financial independence, restrict autonomy, and prevent women from fully participating in society. At Equality Now, we’re working to change this. Our work includes advocating for reform of discriminatory family and personal status laws, supporting regional coalitions and feminist movements, providing legal expertise on gender-equal legislation, and engaging international and regional human rights mechanisms to strengthen accountability. Across regions, we continue to work alongside partners pushing for laws that uphold equality, dignity, and human rights within the family. Because without equality at home, equality everywhere else remains out of reach. Learn more about our work on family law https://bit.ly/4fopy7f #InternationalDayOfFamilies #FamilyLaw #GenderEquality #WomensRights #LegalEquality

What a week. Women Deliver 2026 reminded us of something important: progress is never inevitable, it is organised, defended, and built together. Over the past week in Naarm (Melbourne), Equality Now was proud to stand alongside thousands of First Nations advocates, activists, youth leaders, thinkers, funders, governments, and civil society organisations from across the world at the first-ever Women Deliver hosted in the Oceanic Pacific region. At a time of escalating backlash against the rights of women and girls globally, the convening felt urgent, energising, and deeply necessary. Across conversations, one theme emerged repeatedly: this moment demands solidarity, courage, and collective, coordinated action. Throughout the week, Equality Now convened and contributed to conversations focused on some of the defining challenges shaping gender equality today. From transforming discriminatory laws, gendered disinformation and technology-facilitated abuse, the power of narratives, to child marriage FGM/C, family law reform, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and strengthening accountability for gender-based violence. We were proud to host and be part of events with numerous partners One of the most powerful aspects of WD2026 was the leadership of First Nations women and Oceanic Pacific feminists, whose organising, resistance, and vision grounded the conference. For Equality Now, the week was also about partnership. We were grateful to reconnect with long-standing allies and build new relationships with partners from around the world. Thank you to everyone who joined our sessions, visited our exhibition space, shared ideas, challenged assumptions, and reminded us why collective action matters. As we launch our new strategic plan, 'Securing Rights. Transforming Futures.', Women Deliver reinforced both the scale of the challenges ahead and the strength of the global movement determined to meet them. Thank you, Women Deliver 2026. We leave Naarm inspired, connected, and more committed. #WomenDeliver2026 #WD2026 #GenderEquality