Equality Now

Today marks 23 years of the Maputo Protocol, Africa's landmark treaty on the rights of women and girls.

Since its adoption in 2003, the Protocol has helped drive legal reform across the continent, protecting rights including freedom from violence and discrimination, equal participation in public life, inheritance and property rights, and s*xual and reproductive health and rights.

Today, 46 African Union Member States have ratified the Protocol, but too many women and girls still face barriers because these commitments have not been fully implemented. The next step is turning legal promises into lived realities.

Read why the Maputo Protocol remains vital for women and girls in Africa, from ending discrimination and child marriage to protecting access to justice, education, health, and political participation: https://bit.ly/4ym7a6f

Together, we can help ensure every woman and girl can enjoy the rights the Maputo Protocol guarantees.

Maputo at 23: 23 reasons why the Maputo Protocol remains vital for women and girls in Africa On July 11, 2026, Africa marked 23 years since the African Union adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, widely known as the Maputo Protocol. Adopted in Maputo, Mozambique, on 11 July 2003, and entering into force in 2005, the Prot...

Our Equality Champions are the heart of sustainable change. They often stand by us for years or even decades, making our victories also theirs.

Jessica, for example, has supported Equality Now since 2008. In her words, “Equality Now does amazing work in ending harmful outdated practices and improving lives around the world. Their thoughtful efforts help both individuals and communities elevate and thrive, and I wholeheartedly support their mission.”

You can join Jessica and our other Equality Champions with a recurring gift today. Make a gift of $15/month or more before Friday, 17 July and you will receive an exclusive, FREE Equality Now tote bag. Visit equalitynow.org/donate.

What role can storytelling play in advancing women's rights?

As ‘Giulia’ opens at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York, we're sharing our latest Equality Culture Club interview with Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and producer Jennifer Nettles.

Inspired by the true story of Giulia Tofana, a 17th-century Italian woman who helped women escape abusive marriages, ‘Giulia’ explores themes of power, violence, survival, and resistance that continue to shape women's lives around the world.

In our conversation, Jennifer reflects on why this story feels especially urgent today, the power of theatre to build empathy and inspire change, and what a gender-equal future could make possible.

At Equality Now, we believe culture plays a vital role in shaping attitudes and advancing women's rights. By amplifying stories that spark conversation and challenge assumptions, we can help build a future where all women and girls can live with safety, dignity, and freedom.

Read the full interview: https://bit.ly/4vCraQ8

Equality Culture Club: Jennifer Nettles on Giulia, storytelling, and imagining a gender-equal future What Louis Theroux’s “Inside the Manosphere” reveals about online misogyny, how it spreads, and why it has real-world consequences.

Lasting change takes persistence, collaboration, and people willing to keep pushing forward, even in difficult circumstances.

Across the Middle East and North Africa, women’s rights activists and organisations continue working together to challenge discrimination, strengthen protections, and create space for progress.

Read more reflections from Equality Now’s MENA Regional Representative, Dima Dabbous, on solidarity, coalition-building, and creating change: https://bit.ly/4wVi7uG

Building change together across the MENA region: In conversation with Dima Dabbous Dima Dabbous is Equality Now’s Regional Representative in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). She joined us in 2018, following a three-decade-long career as an academic, researcher, and activist in the field of media and gender, and now leads our work to support and strengthen the growing wom...