• How the US can improve its record on women’s rights

• Beijing+30: recommitting to equality in today’s world

• Legal wins in Bolivia and the Central African Republic

Dear John

At Equality Now, we believe legal accountability is the foundation of progress. As Global Director of Programs, I’m sharing this month’s digest with that in mind, a snapshot of where we’re pushing for action, and why accountability through international mechanisms remains vital to securing equality for women and girls everywhere.

From the United States’ approach to its upcoming human rights review, to global conversations around the legacy of the Beijing Platform for Action, one thing is clear: legal equality is not a side issue, it’s a global imperative.

• Last month in Geneva, the pre-session for the United States’ upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) produced important news: the US is not planning to send a delegation to its own review, scheduled for November 2025. The UPR is a crucial space for countries to reflect on their record, respond, and recommit to their human rights obligations. Equality Now’s Program Officer for North America, Anastasia Law, delivered a joint civil society statement on four areas where the US can improve its record on how women and girls are treated in the US: female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, constitutional equality, and online sexual exploitation. We urge the US to participate fully this November, because showing up matters.
  

• September marks the 30th anniversary of the The Beijing Platform for Action, which set an ambitious global goal: eliminate all laws that discriminate on the basis of sex. Thirty years later, that vision is still far from reality. To mark this anniversary, I encourage you to listen to We Change the Rules, our podcast series hosted by Samira Ahmed. It brings together some of the most influential voices in the fight for gender equality to reflect on the Beijing legacy, and the road ahead.

Earlier this week, the UN marked 30 years since the Fourth World Conference on Women by meeting to discuss ‘recommitting to, resourcing, and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action’.

At the time of writing, it’s too soon to comment on exactly what was covered in this important session, but what is abundantly clear is that it could not have come at a more critical moment.

Not only for women and girls, whose fundamental right to equality is increasingly under threat, but for everyone in our families, communities and societies impacted by such challenges as geopolitical conflict, social unrest, economic stagnation and climate change.

Because while gender equality is first and foremost a matter of human rights, it is also a key factor, if not the key factor, in creating a more peaceful, prosperous, healthy and sustainable world.

This isn’t just a matter of opinion. As Equality Now’s Global Executive Director Mona Sinha wrote this week, there is a broad body of research demonstrating just how far-reaching the benefits of achieving equal rights, opportunities and representation would be, including:

• A $10 trillion boost to global GDP within 10 years

• More investment in health, nutrition and education

• 100 -150 million fewer people going hungry worldwide

• More inclusive and lasting peace treaties

• More ambitious, effective environmental policies

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The point is clear, and somewhat obvious. Excluding and inhibiting and allowing the abuse of half the world’s population isn’t just ethically indefensible, it’s an act of societal self-sabotage.

And to all those desperate for a solution to the many large and complex problems facing the world today, we say look to the evidence, look to the opportunity, and know that a brighter, better tomorrow starts with equality now.

• Bolivia takes a stand on child marriage and has become the latest country in Latin America to pass a landmark bill banning child marriage without exceptions, a major win for girls’ rights and bodily autonomy.
  

• In Africa, the Central African Republic ratified the Maputo Protocol, becoming the 46th African Union Member State to commit to advancing women’s rights through this powerful legal instrument.
  

• Through our Stop The Count campaign, we’ve been working across Eastern and Southern Africa to challenge laws that discriminate on the basis of sex and push for constitutional reform. From Malawi to Kenya to Zambia, we're calling on governments to enshrine legal equality at the highest level, and to hold true to their human rights commitments.
  

• In case you missed it: At our recent event during UNGA in New York, author Laura Bates and technologist Dr. Joy Buolamwini joined our own Amanda Manyame to explore the legal and cultural systems enabling digital misogyny, and how we challenge them. If you were unable to attend in person or online, you can watch the full recording here.

• International Day of the Girl Child: 11 October
  We’ll be spotlighting the power of legal reform to shape brighter futures for girls everywhere. Keep an eye out across our channels for more.
  

• Equality Now’s Make Equality Reality Gala: 14 October
  Our annual Gala is coming soon, celebrating changemakers, progress, and the global movement for legal equality. Secure your sponsorship by September 29th.