EQUALITY NOW is a non-governmental organization working for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. Working with national human rights organizations and individual activists, Equality Now documents violence and discrimination against women and adds an international action overlay to support their efforts to advance equality rights and defend individual women who are suffering abuse. Through its Women’s Action Network, Equality Now distributes information about these human rights violations to concerned groups and individuals around the world, along with recommended actions for publicizing and protesting them. The Women’s Action Network is committed to voicing a worldwide call for justice and equality for women. Issues of urgent concern to Equality Now include rape, domestic violence, reproductive rights, trafficking of women, female genital mutilation, and equal access to economic opportunity and political participation. A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by states. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Violence refers to acts —typically connotative with aggressive and criminal behaviour —which intend to cause or is causing of injury to persons, animals, or (in limited cases) property. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... ... Domestic violence broadly defined, is violence within a home. ... Reproductive rights is a controversial political term to refer to womens rights in areas of sexual reproduction, including the rights to reproduce (such as forced sterilization) as well as rights not to reproduce, (such as birth control, abortion). ... Female circumcision (including excision) loosely refers to a number of procedures performed on the female genitalia and which are generally of a cultural, rather than medical, nature. ...

Background and History

In 1992, Jessica Neuwirth, Navanethem Pillay, and Feryal Gharahi, attorneys from the United States, South Africa and Iran respectively, created Equality Now. These founders believed that acts of violence against women were violations of the fundamental human rights guarantees as stated in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They felt that the human rights movement had neglected women’s rights, dismissing violations as “cultural” or “private”. Issues such as domestic violence, rape, female genital mutilation, trafficking, and reproductive rights were not part of the agendas of established human rights organizations. Wikisource has original text related to this article: Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (also UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/217, December 10, 1948), outlining a view on basic human rights. ...

The founders had a vision of an organization that would work closely with grassroots women’s organizations in every region of the world, sharing and receiving information on the status of women and violations of their rights, and mobilizing public protest in response. Immediately after the opening of its New York office, Equality Now began to identify groups whose work matched its own mission and to consider how to support and reinforce the actions those groups were already taking. Another part of the founders’ vision was to create a presence around the world through offices in different regions that would develop stronger relationships with the local groups and regional networks that are best placed to assess the most effective actions that can be taken to end violence and discrimination in their communities. A grassroots political movement, inspired by the German word Graswurzel, is a movement organized by a network of citizens. ...

Equality Now found a way to raise public consciousness on women’s rights as human rights and to channel concern into strategic action through the Women’s Action Network. People who joined the network began receiving Women’s Action campaign briefings and were urged to take action against human rights violations against women by writing letters of protest directly to government officials, sharing information about these violations within their communities, and taking other steps to support the struggle to end violence and discrimination against women.

In 2000, Equality Now's Africa Regional Office opened in Nairobi, Kenya. The Africa Regional Office was launched to enhance Equality Now’s ability to respond to and coordinate with other organizations working at the national and regional levels across Africa. In 2004, Equality Now opened an office in London, England, which now serves as an international research center, as well as a European base, and provides a greater and more cost-effective capacity to further target issues of critical concern. It also better enables Equality Now to build and support the unique international coordination efforts it offers to grassroots organizations around the world. Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK...

Goals

• to campaign for the reform of laws and practices that discriminate against women
• to contribute towards the global campaign to end violence against women
• to promote the equal partnership of women in decision-making

Key Programs

Equality Now works to achieve its mission of ending violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world through its work in the 4 program areas: Justice and Equality, Female Genital Mutilation, Trafficking, and International Peace and Security. The concept of peace ranks among the most controversial in our time. ...

Justice and Equality

The fight for civil and political rights, as well as economic and social rights, all relate to the underlying struggle for justice and equality. Equality Now’s work in this area addresses the organization’s goal of reforming discriminatory laws and practices, and bringing justice and equality to women and girls. Equality Now leads and participates in a range of activities and campaigns that aim to hold governments accountable to the pledges they have made to protect the fundamental rights of women and girls around the world.

Female Genital Mutilation

It is estimated that more than 130 million girls and women around the world have undergone genital mutilation. At least 2 million girls are at risk every year. The cutting, which is generally done without anesthetic, may have lifelong health consequences including chronic infection, severe pain during urination, menstruation, sexual intercourse, and childbirth, and psychological trauma. Some girls die from the cutting, usually as a result of bleeding or infection. Although FGM is practiced in the name of tradition and culture in many countries, grassroots organizations in these countries are fighting within the same culture and tradition to eradicate it. Equality Now assists these organizations in their work through its FGM Fund.

Trafficking

Equality Now addresses the commercial sexual exploitation of women in its campaigns against sex tourism and trafficking. Millions of women around the world are victimized by traffickers, pimps, and “johns” each year. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to the trafficking industry. Some are abducted; some are deceived by offers of legitimate work in another country; some are sold by their own poverty-stricken parents or are themselves driven by poverty into the lure of traffickers who prey on their desperation. Sex tourism is tourism, partially or fully for the purpose of having sex, often with prostitutes. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

International Peace and Security

Equality Now advocates the important role of women in conflict resolution and prevention, believing that women’s full participation in peace processes can significantly contribute to sustainable international peace and security. The organization's work in the International Peace and Security Program addresses its goal of promoting equal partnership of women in decision-making. The campaign work in this area also addresses the impact of war on women, as women and children account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by armed conflict. An act of war - the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945, effectively ending World War II. The bombs over Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki immediately killed over 120,000 people. ...

Recent Campaigns

Equality Now recently launched a campaign calling for the United Nations to select a woman as its next Secretary-General. Main articles: League of Nations and History of the United Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ... A large number of international organizations and other bodies have a Secretary General or Secretary-General as their chief administrative officers or in other administrative capacities. ...

See also

Human rights abuse It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Human rights violation. ...

Sexual slavery Sexual slavery is a special case of slavery which includes various different practices: forced prostitution (which can include religious prostitution) single-owner sexual slavery slavery for primarily non-sexual purposes where sex is common or permissible In general, the nature of slavery means that the slave is de facto available...

Prostitution A woman who exercises prostitution in Germany Prostitution is the sale of sexual services, such as oral sex or sexual intercourse. ...

Feminism Feminism is a diverse collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women, especially in terms of their social, political, and economic situation. ...

Advocacy Advocacy is a parasol term for organized activism related to a particular set of issues. ...

Activism Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. ...

Amnesty International Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international, non-governmental organization with the stated purpose of promoting all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. ...

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch is an international left-wing non-governmental organization based in New York City, USA, that conducts advocacy and research on human rights issues. ...

CEDAW

External links

Equality Now

UN under growing pressure to appoint a woman leader, Times of London

Challenging UN Leadership, The Toronto Star

Women Push UN Post, Women's eNews