The Equality Effect

The equality effect is a non-profit charity that uses international human rights law as a crowbar to pry open justice for women and girls around the world. Our mission is to make girls rights real, using the law. To eliminate the systemic discrimination and culture of impunity that leaves girls across Africa and beyond, vulnerable to rape, without consequence. 80% of students in Kenya report that rape is the biggest obstacle to their studies.* 2/3’s of girls in Kenya are sexually assaulted by the time they turn 18.* 1) To ensure the enforcement of existing laws intended to protect girls from rape. 2) To introduce perpetrator accountability to achieve deterrence around defilement. The laws exist. The Equality Effect has developed a proven, scalable legal strategy that leverages existing laws to strengthen the legal system applying it for girls/women to drive systemic change. The Equality Effect’s difference is the ability to develop interdisciplinary, cross-sector legal strategies to drive change. Equality advocates from across Africa and beyond are now actively seeking to partner with e² to apply the 160 Girls strategies in their own country contexts. The success of the 160 Girls project in Kenya has become an inspiration for action internationally. The goal is to make girls’/women’s rights real, so that they are safe from sexual violence, can attend school, live healthy lives and fulfill their economic potential.