Equality Now

100 days ago, Yanar Mohammed, one of Iraq's leading women's rights defenders, was assassinated outside her home in Baghdad.

Yanar dedicated her life to advancing the rights of women and girls. As co-founder and director of the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), she supported survivors of gender-based violence, domestic abuse, and trafficking, and established Iraq's first women's shelters and a network of safe houses that continue to provide refuge and support today.

Yet 100 days after her murder, no one has been charged.

The failure to hold perpetrators accountable reflects a broader culture of impunity and sends a chilling message to women human rights defenders across Iraq and beyond.

Together with the Hurra Coalition, we are calling on the Iraqi government to:

🔹 Conduct a prompt, thorough, and independent investigation
🔹 Hold all perpetrators accountable
🔹 Guarantee a safe and enabling environment for women human rights defenders

Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/4xjbBy5

Yanar Mohammed was assassinated 100 days ago. No one has been charged. The Hurra Coalition and Equality Now call on Iraq to deliver justice for Yanar Mohammed and end impunity for attacks on women human rights defenders.

Equality Culture Club’s book of the month is Motherdom: Breaking Free from Bad Science and Good Mother Myths by Alex Bollen.

Motherdom unpacks the harmful “Good Mother” myth — the impossible standard that blames women no matter what they do. Bollen challenges the bad science behind these narratives and offers a new perspective on motherhood that centers relationships, support, and the resources children need to thrive.

Our 2025 Impact Report is here.

Over the past year, together with partners, activists, survivors, and supporters around the world, we continued working to advance legal equality for women and girls, helping drive legal reforms, strengthen movements, challenge discrimination, and expand access to justice.

At a time of growing backlash against gender equality in many parts of the world, this work has never been more important.

Inside the report, you’ll find stories of progress, reflections from our teams and partners, and insights into the long-term work needed to create lasting change.

Thank you to everyone who continues to stand with us and support this movement.

📖 Explore the full report: https://equalitynow.org/what-we-do/our-impact/

Our impact In 2024, Equality Now improved justice for over 52 million women & girls.

A couple of weeks on from Women Deliver 2026, we’re still reflecting on the conversations, connections, and collective energy that made the week so impactful.

At the end of April, Equality Now joined thousands of advocates, activists, youth leaders, and partners in Naarm (Melbourne) for the first-ever Women Deliver conference hosted in the Oceanic Pacific region.

At a time of growing backlash against the rights of women and girls globally, WD2026 was a powerful reminder that progress must be organised, defended, and built together. Throughout the week, we contributed to important conversations on discriminatory laws, technology-facilitated abuse, child marriage, family law reform, s*xual and reproductive health and rights, and accountability for gender-based violence.

We were especially inspired by the leadership of First Nations women and Oceanic Pacific feminists, whose voices and vision shaped so many important discussions.

Thank you to everyone who joined our sessions, visited our exhibition space, and connected with us throughout the week. We left Naarm inspired, energised, and more committed than ever to advancing gender equality worldwide.