For the past 20 years Equality Now has been tirelessly working to create a world where women and girls are free from violence and fully able to enjoy and exercise their human rights.  In honor of our milestone anniversary in April, we are excited to launch our $20K in 2012 anniversary fundraising campaign!

Please donate (select DONATE above) and/or create an Equality Now $20K in 2012 fundraising team (select JOIN THE TEAM to the right) and help us add and support additional cases to our Adolescent Girls’ Legal Defense Fund (AGLDF) starting this year.

Every Gift Has an Impact – consider:

• $10 Contributes to the monthly school fees of a girl while she pursues her case
• $25 Helps us to mount a global e-campaign to end sexual violence against girls
• $50  Helps provide counseling support to victims of sexual violence
• $75  Helps transport a girl to court to pursue her legal case
• $100 Helps subsidize the rent and utilities for those girls who need to be relocated to safety
• $500 Helps lawyers investigate potential new cases

AGLDF allows us to empower girls by identifying and removing the common obstacles to justice and establish legal precedents to prevent future violence against girls.  Your support will allow us and our global grassroots partners to advocate for the girls whose cases we have taken up, while at the same time and help we continue our efforts to raise global awareness about gender inequality and how to eradicate it. 

CASES:

Abduction, rape and forced marriage: CASE OF Makeda – AGE 13
Repeal law in Ethiopia that allows kidnappers and rapists to go free by marrying their victims

Teacher rape: CASE OF Mary – AGE 13
Ensure that the Zambian legal and educational systems properly handle cases of rape in schools by teachers (“defilement”)

Female genital mutilation (FGM): CASE OF Sasiano – AGE 12
Deter practitioners of FGM by ensuring that the government properly prosecutes perpetrators and enforces the anti-FGM law in Kenya

Incest: CASE OF Mariam – AGE 15
Reform the Pakistani rape laws to include a specific provision on incest and remove barriers to justice for survivors of sexual violence

Child marriage: CASE OF Wafa – AGE 11
Create a law banning child marriage in Yemen and allow child brides to get a divorce without having to pay compensation to their husbands

Sex Tourism: CASE OF four Brazilian girls – AGES 12 to 17
Use the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) to encourage victims to come forward and to serve as a deterrent for perpetrators through a civil case against a U.S. company that ran sex tours to Brazil

Incest and gang-rape: CASE OF Niara– AGE 17
Reinforce police responsibility to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of sexual violence against girls in Kenya

Rape of disabled girl: CASE OF Sanyu – Age 13
Pressure the Ugandan government to fulfill their responsibility to victims of sexual violence including the disabled

Gang-rape by police - CASE OF Saba – Age 16
End police impunity for violence against women and girls in Pakistan

Names have been changed to protect privacy

As you can see, even after 20 years, there is still much work to be done as shocking cases like these can easily be found all over of the world.  Equality Now is determined to take them on no matter how difficult or unwinnable they may be or seem, and we would deeply value your support.  Along with our partners, we are dedicated to creating a world where women and girls have to opportunity to reach their full potential and we hope that you will join in the fight.  To learn more about our work and to take action, visit us at www.equalitynow.org.