Those fighting for women´s rights often have to push for societal change. Legislation, approaches, and perspectives need to be pushed to incorporate gender as an element to consider. Patriarchal practices also take time to change.
Campaigning can be a powerful way to raise awareness about this and put pressure on a government to change its legislation. Campaigns can be used to help key litigation.
You could contact a national or international Women’s Rights groups who may want to collaborate with your cause.
Women’s Rights organisations in your country may be able to direct you to support and help with your problem.
Below you can find a list of organisations that support women’s rights in various continents:
AFRICA
FIDA Kenya: FIDA-Kenya is a premier women’s rights organization in Kenya that has offered free legal aid to over 3,000,000 women and their children over the course of 34 years. FIDA-Kenya has handled litigation on custody and maintenance matters, land and matrimonial property disputes, labour and economic rights, participated in advocacy around Women in political participation, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Child and Forced Marriage, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence among others. Similarly, the organization conducts education and advocacy programs.
FIDA Uganda: the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Uganda) is one of the leading women’s rights organizations in Uganda and the pioneer of legal aid and public legal education in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on the rights of women with children as beneficiaries of this work. FIDA Uganda uses multiple strategies aimed at advancing law and policy reform for the protection of women including advocacy, public interest litigation and various forms of public engagement. https://fidauganda.org/
Ethiopia
An Ethiopian organisation that specializes in reducing FGM, early marriage, marriage by abduction and Uvulectomy. This is achieved through advocacy with support from national partnerships spread across Africa including UN agencies and governments.
Nigeria
Advocating for general women’s rights triggered by the effect war has had on many women, for example rape being used as a weapon. ‘Change Agents’ (these are often Lawyers) approach community leaders and the police to request prosecutions for rape and domestic violence.
Sierra Leone
Tackles gender discrimination by offering family mediation, job training and emotional support. Many girls enroll in vocational programs which are funded by the World Bank.
SOUTH AMERICA
Guatemala
This is a large charity that started working in Guatemala after the civil war, however it is also set up across several continents. Community Based Anti-Violence Teams help to recognize and report all forms of violence against women by working with the police. Physical and Emotional support is offered to women in ‘Safe Spaces’, these are camps that are set up in local areas.
Haiti
This charity tackles violence against women. The women’s movement works across local organisations and assesses their needs and resources. Following this, they create a network of women’s rights centers, host meetings and arrange sponsors. Survivors of domestic abuse are then referred to the appropriate organization where they can receive counsel.
Bolivia
Casa de la Mujer is an organisation aiming to promote sexual equality, enabling women of all classes and ethnicities to participate in all aspects of Bolivian life. They have a particular focus on eliminating violence against women. They work in educating women on their rights, ensuring women are included in decisions that will affect them, such as the peace process, and work with other national organisations to ensure they can connect women in need to the correct organisation.
ASIA
Afghanistan
Women For Afghan Women (WAW)
WAW is a grassroots civil society organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls, aiming to help them exercise their rights to self-determination, and to representation in all areas of life. WAW aims to challenge the norms that underpin gender-based violence to influence attitudes and bring about change. WAW provides programs and services for women and children through our 32 centers in Afghanistan. They help those who have endured human rights violations, including forced marriage, rape, forced prostitution, unlawful imprisonment, and barred access to education/employment.
Lebanon
KAFA is a Lebanese NGO aiming to dismantle social, economic and legal patriarchal structures, and help women who are negatively affected by these structures. They advocate for legal reforms, as well as providing female victims of domestic and/or sexual violence with social, economic and legal patriarchal structures. They have created a national hotline for domestic violence in Lebanon.
India
Majlis Law/Majlis Manch
Majlis provides legal support and guidance to women facing domestic violence, women and child victims of sexual violence, and those who have experienced sexual harassment at the workplace. They are also involved in training, research, campaigns, and publications on issues concerning violence against women and children. They work to make laws accessible to ordinary women, as well as judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police, government representatives and NGOs.
Kyrgyzstan
Forum of Women’s NGOs of Kyrgyzstan
The Forum of Women’s NGOs of Kyrgyzstan is a network of women’s groups which aims to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. Its priorities are prevention and eradication of gender-based violence and fostering women’s participation in decision-making processes. The Forum conducts research, lobbying, and monitoring of national legislation on gender equality. It also provides women’s groups with capacity building, networking, and joint advocacy opportunities in four of the seven provinces.
Indonesia
PEKKA aims to develop resources to empower female heads of households, and through this, the wider community. They aim to make sure that women can exercise their rights through allowing them to actively engage in development cycles and decision-making processes. A major part of this is allowing single mothers to see themselves as having a vital and honourable role, and building a new set of national values towards an inclusive, egalitarian and democratic society. This is all achieved through education, legal empowerment, and providing tools for economic empowerment.
For more information on campaigns, see Campaigning on the A4J Going to Court: Q&A.