Equality Now

HISTORY Domestic violence was just life. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) was a cultural rite of passage. Child marriage was a local custom. And rape was seen as an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of war and civil unrest. But three lawyers, Jessica Neuwirth, Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, and Feryal Gharahi, believed in a different, better future for women. They saw that by directing public and media attention from all over the world on individual cases of abuse, while also advocating with policymakers and at the United Nations, they could put significant international pressure on governments to enforce and enact better, fairer laws. In 1992 they founded Equality Now, with a mission to use the law to protect and promote the human rights of women and girls all over the world. VISION & MISSION VISION A world in which women and men have equal rights under the law, and full enjoyment of their human rights. MISSION Achieve legal and systemic change that addresses violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world. At Equality Now, they believe in creating a just world where women and girls have the same rights as men and boys. They believe in tackling the most difficult issues, challenging ingrained cultural assumptions and calling out inequality wherever they see it. And they believe in the power of the law to create enduring equality for women and girls everywhere.