Legal Equality in 2024: Bracing for the Challenges Ahead

Shining a spotlight on the human rights of girls

Two months in and already 2024 is off to a promising start, as Zambia’s landmark legislation unequivocally set the marriageable age at 18, and Lebanon’s human rights organizations submitted a draft law to the Parliament to prevent child marriages in the country. On the global front, To Kill a Tiger received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature Film, and we feel incredibly proud to have worked as one of the Executive Producers for this powerful film, with Equality Now as the film’s Impact Campaign Partner.

Tackling AI: A breeding ground for sexual exploitation

These achievements, however, stand against the backdrop of the increasing sexual exploitation of women, exacerbated by unprecedented technological development. Last month, Taylor Swift became the latest celebrity victim of an insidious new form of sexual abuse involving ‘deepfakes’ – digitally manipulated video footage in which one person’s likeness is replaced convincingly with that of another.

>> Read our recent briefing paper on the laws currently regulating deepfake image-based sexual abuse.

Campaigning to end cultural traditions that violate women’s bodies

We are also deeply dismayed at the loss of three young lives to FGM rituals in Sierra Leone. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a gross violation of internationally recognized human rights and one we are tirelessly working to eliminate across the world, from Canada to Kenya and India to Sierra Leone. In India, we joined hands with award-winning filmmaker, child rights activist, and co-founder of Sahiyo Insia Dariwala for her film, ‘The Beginning,’ which seeks to demonstrate the protagonist’s mental trauma and impact caused by FGM/C and why she feels the need to stop this practice.?

>> Watch and share the trailer for The Beginning .

Striving for a more equal future

Meanwhile, we’ve been reflecting on how this huge election year is likely to shape our shared future. With over two billion people in more than 60 countries, due to take part in crucial elections this year, we must consider what any changes might mean for women and girls.

We must center the voices of women as leaders, innovators, and peace-builders, and we must recognize that the ability for women to aspire to, inhabit, and uphold these positions is reliant on economic equality – which in turn requires global and sustainable legal equality.

Join Equality Now at CSW

The sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York takes place from March 11 through 22. CSW representatives of Member States, UN entities, and accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world will convene to promote equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. Read more .

Advocating for human rights in Eurasia

At Equality Now, we believe in advocating for the development and implementation of progressive laws in alignment with international law and standards and fostering environments that respect women and girls through feminist, human rights, and evidence-based advocacy. This year, we’ve already made submissions on Tajikistan , Russia , and Azerbaijan to International Treaty Bodies.

If you want to learn more about how to use different methods of engagement at the international level to push for the greater protection of women’s and girls’ rights in your country, read our “Guide To Advocating For Women’s Rights Using International Human Rights Mechanisms ,” available in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Russian.

Supporting women’s rights in Iran

We are thrilled to announce our film, Woman. Life. Freedom: Honoring the Activism of Iranian Women and Girls , has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 Smiley Charity Film Awards in the Bicester Collection International Impact category .

Launched in 2022, the film serves as a poignant reminder of Iranian women’s ongoing fight for justice and equality.

We’d love for this film to win - as a way to honor the women of Iran, and those who stand with them, who remain committed to equality against all the odds.

Cast your vote for our #WomanLifeFreedom film in the People’s Choice Awards. Voting is open until March 2. Every vote counts !

Our work wouldn’t be possible without your support. We are grateful for your continued solidarity at this time. Subscribe now to the latest news from our teams working to protect and promote the rights of women and girls around the world.