Equality Now Asia

#Afghanistan's new family law regulation strips girls of their last legal protections. We call on the international community to maintain pressure on the Taliban to restore them, and to ensure that Afghan girls are not forgotten. Every girl deserves equal protection under the law, regardless of her religion, her community, or the government that rules her country.

📢 NEW REPORT: Good practices on compensation for survivors of sexual violence in South Asia Across #SouthAsia, laws on sexual and gender-based violence include provisions on compensation for survivors of sexual violence. In practice, it is out of reach for many. SAMAJ’s new report finds that compensation systems across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives share a critical flaw: they are often embedded within the criminal law, mediated through courts and inconsistently implemented. Given low conviction rates, long trials, and discrimination faced survivors from Dalit, Indigenous, minority-faith, and disabled communities in criminal justice systems, difficulties in accessing compensation are compounded. In #Bangladesh, courts awarded compensation in just 6.8% of rape cases reviewed. Without interim financial support to assist survivors prior to the conclusion of a criminal trial, survivors often feel pressure to settle cases informally. The absence of compensation is not a side issue. It is one of the primary mechanisms through which impunity for perpetrators is sustained. India and Nepal show that change is possible, offering emerging models where compensation is treated as a right, not a discretionary favour. The report calls on governments across the region to establish national victim compensation funds independent of conviction, introduce emergency disbursement mechanisms, enforce court orders, and facilitate survivors access to such mechanisms. Compensation is society's acknowledgement of harm and the state's accountability to survivors. It is time for that to exist in practice, not only in law. 🔗 Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4wXcxYT #EndSexualViolence #AccessToJustice #WomensRights #SouthAsia #SurvivorJustice #SAMAJ

What happens when #SouthAsia comes together to reimagine family law? At the first South Asia Regional Convening on Family Laws in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law and Equality Now brought together more than 40 advocates and activists from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Across three days, we explored how discriminatory family laws continue to shape the lives of women and girls, from child marriage, divorce, custody, maintenance, and matrimonial property rights, to sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, and economic justice. Family laws are not private matters. They determine who can marry, who can divorce, who has custody, who inherits, who owns property, and who is recognised as equal within the home and in society. Across South Asia, reform continues to be slowed by legal loopholes, weak implementation, colonial legacies, patriarchal norms, and the unequal application of religious and customary laws. The convening showed what is possible when movements share evidence, strategies, and solidarity across borders. Equality in the family is foundational to equality in society. Legal reform is essential to ensuring that all women and girls can live with dignity, autonomy, and full enjoyment of their rights. During the Week of Action for equality in family law, we continue to draw inspiration from the advocates across South Asia working to change family laws, strengthen movements, and build a more equal future. Watch highlights from the convening. #FreeOurFamilyLaws #IDoF26 #FamilyLaw #GenderEquality #LegalEquality #SouthAsia #WomensRights

Can youth demand accountability from authorities and amplify the voices of marginalised groups in #Nepal? Hear from Seejan Lamichhane a young changemaker working on ending sexual and gender-based violence through youth engagement, policy awareness, and community-driven advocacy. Read the full blog here: https://bit.ly/4dm6pjN #EndSexualViolence #Nepal #YouthForSAMAJ

After nine years, is the Supreme Court of #India ready to act on ending FGM? Today, India's Supreme Court 9-judge Constitution Bench made some of the strongest oral observations on female genital mutilation to date - observations that suggest that FGM can fall under the exceptions of public health and morality, which restrict the right to freedom of religion under Article 25. The case, filed by lawyer Sunita Tiwari in 2017 and joined by Masooma Ranalvi, founder of survivor-led organisation, WeSpeakOut as intervenor, has waited more than nine years to be heard. These are oral observations, not a judgment. But they signal that the court is willing to look squarely at FGM through the lens of health, bodily integrity, and the rights of the child. This is just the beginning, but it is a powerful catalyst for the legal change that survivors and advocates have been working towards for years. What is needed now is a specific law in India prohibiting FGM in all its forms. Strategic litigation has a powerful role to play in the movement, and Equality Now's latest report on how it is being used to advance justice for FGM survivors worldwide highlights more. Read the report: https://bit.ly/4tYaiSY #EndFGM #FGMInIndia #WomensRights #LegalReform #ChildRights

Why are legal systems falling short on child marriage in #SouthAsia? In some contexts, there is no minimum age of marriage. In other cases, exceptions, conflicting laws, or unequal protections leave girls at risk. This is not inevitable. It is a legal and policy choice. Across these countries, legal gaps, inconsistencies, and parallel systems are allowing child marriage to persist, but the evidence also shows that where laws are clear, equal, and enforced, they can protect girls. We know legal reform works. Where laws are clear, consistent, and implemented, girls are better protected. Every girl deserves equal protection under the law, regardless of her religion, community, or country. Download the full report: https://bit.ly/4mAB0hQ #LetsEndChildMarriage #GenderEquality #LegalReform #WomensRights #HumanRights

How important are youth coalitions in ending sexual violence in #Pakistan? Hear from Sahrish Kashif (., a young advocate working towards social and behaviour change for survivors of sexual violence. Read the full blog here: https://bit.ly/49i163u #EndSexualViolence #Pakistan #YouthForSAMAJ

On 27 April 2026, the Punjab Assembly in #Pakistan passed a law setting 18 as the minimum age of marriage for both boys and girls. But does stronger legislation mean stronger protection for girls? We spoke to Qamar Naseem, Programme Manager at Blue Veins and National Focal Person for the Girls Not Brides National Coalition to End Child Marriages in Pakistan, about what the bill passed in Punjab means in practice, where the gaps remain, and what it will take to ensure every girl in Pakistan is equally protected. This conversation sits alongside our latest report on child marriage and family laws in South Asia, which maps the legal landscape across eight countries and finds that legal inconsistency is one of the most significant and least examined drivers of the crisis. Read the Q&A here: https://bit.ly/4cRs82L Read the South Asia Child Marriage report: https://lnkd.in/gXeD4gCp #LetsEndChildMarriage #ChildMarriage #Pakistan #SouthAsia #WomensRights #GenderEquality

What role does youth play in ending sexual violence in #Bangladesh? Hear from Md Nazmul Hasan as he shares powerful insights on barriers, youth leadership, and the path forward. #IAmSAMAJ SERAC-Bangladesh Read the blog here: https://bit.ly/4cUIHvX

What happens when a law prohibits child marriage but still allows it? In #Bangladesh, 51% of girls marry before the age of 18. The Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017 sets 18 as the minimum age, but contains a "special circumstances" exception that allows child marriage below this age with judicial authorisation. The term is not defined in the law. Personal laws go further. Muslim personal law permits marriage at puberty, interpreted by courts as 15 years. Hindu personal law sets no minimum age. The Christian Marriage Act permits marriage of girls as young as 13. One country. Multiple laws. Unequal protection for girls. Removing the exception and harmonising personal laws with national child protection standards is essential to ending child marriage in Bangladesh. 📩 Read Equality Now's full report: https://lnkd.in/gX3JAvZf #LetsEndChildMarriage #EndChildMarriage #Bangladesh #WomensRights #GenderEquality Warda Ashraf Divya Srinivasan Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law Hyshyama Hamin Lisa van Wyk Shivangi Misra