5 Questions with Judge Najla Ayoubi on the Crimes against Humanity Treaty
Judge Najla Ayoubi is a leading voice in advocating for including the persecution of women and girls in the Crimes against Human Rights Treaty. In 2024, she spoke at the United Nations on the systematic violation of women’s and girls’ rights and freedom in Afghanistan and the horrific restrictions placed on their lives. Judge Ayoubi […]
Every Woman Launches New Program to Support Activists
Advancing the end of violence against all women and girls through collective power and care As a key initiative of our new expanded scope of work, Every Woman is proud to launch The Resilient Collective, an academy of shared learning designed to strengthen and sustain our collective advocacy to end gender-based violence for all […]
A New Collective Path Forward
Dear Global Community, For years, Every Woman has advocated for the end of violence against all women and girls through binding global law. We have met with more than 100 countries, published op-eds and policy reports, and influenced the global dialogue on solutions to end violence against women and girls at the United Nations, in […]
Access to Justice for Survivors – Join our CSW70 Event!
Join us for an engaging conversation on how we can come together to strengthen justice, protection, and accountability for all women and girls. Across the globe, women and girls face persistent and rising levels of violence. Despite international human rights commitments, gaps remain in both survivor-centred justice and international accountability frameworks. This year, in conjunction […]
Every Woman joins global call for civil society participation in the Crimes against Humanity Treaty
In late 2024, the United Nations adopted a resolution to begin negotiations toward a new Crimes against Humanity Treaty. The preparatory session for those negotiations begins today, with UN Member States deciding how civil society will participate in the process. Every Woman has joined more than 350 other civil society organisations and individuals in urging […]
2026 Word of the Year: Flock
Dear friends, This time last year, I was in Mogadishu. Following elections back home in the United States, people were openly talking about fleeing—leaving, retreating, pulling back. Yet at a table in Somalia, a country emerging from decades of collapse, I sat with women’s rights activists who all held passports from Western nations. They could […]
Every Woman Convenes Global Leaders in Geneva to Advance Solutions to Digital Violence Against Women and Girls
During the 16 Days of Activism, ministers, ambassadors, UN agencies and civil society gathered in Geneva to discuss solutions to a global emergency that is growing in scale and complexity: online and technology-facilitated violence. UN Women estimates that up to 58 per cent of women and girls have experienced some form of online abuse— including […]
We Can Change The Story: The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
This year’s global theme for 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which begins today on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, is cyberviolence, one of the fastest growing forms of violence against women and girls. The statistics are alarming: As many as 58% of women have been victims of online violence. […]
A Safe Internet Is Possible — Join Our #16Days Event
Dear Global Community, Online violence against women and girls has surged in recent years, with as many as 58 per cent of women globally experiencing some form of cyberviolence. With a rapidly changing technology landscape, violence prevention must be embedded into national, regional, and global systems. Our high-level side event — held in-person and online […]
Budgets Are Human Rights Tools – Insights from our Solutions Session at the Second World Summit on Social Development
We frequently hear that addressing violence against women and girls is costly and many governments simply do not have enough resources to prioritise this issue. Our Solutions Session today at the Second World Summit on Social Development challenged this narrative, highlighting the extraordinary cost of violence against women and girls, the economic and social consequences, […]
Statement on the 25th Anniversary of Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security
Statement on the 25th Anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security Our Commitment to Human Rights Law in the Face of Ongoing Conflicts 31 October 2025 Thirty-one October 2000 marked an extraordinary milestone for peace and equality. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, […]
Why Ending Violence Is Smart Economics – Join The Virtual Conversation
Dear Global Community, We’re pleased to share that Every Woman will be in Doha, Qatar, for the Second World Summit for Social Development and will be cohosting a virtual solutions session with Women for Human Rights – Nepal: THE PRICE OF INACTION The Economic Costs of Violence Against Women & Girls and What Budgetary […]
Every Woman Announces CEO Transition and New Interim Leadership
Photo: Lisa Ellis Message from the Board of Directors Dear Global Community, After thirteen years of extraordinary leadership, Lisa Shannon will be transitioning from her role as CEO of Every Woman this December and stepping into a new role as Founder in Residence. Lisa’s vision and courage have transformed Every Woman from an ambitious idea […]
A joyful shift in role. Unwavering commitment.
Photo: Lisa in Nepal with coalition member Upasana Rana Dearest friends, Some news! In December, I’ll be shifting from my role as CEO to “Founder in Residence” at Every Woman. After 13 years, this is no small shift—but it is a joyful one. I believe with all my heart that it will strengthen our mission […]
UNGA80 Commitments Must Become Action to End Violence Against Women and Girls
During the UN General Assembly, 109 governments made 212 commitments toward the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action on gender equality, including actions to end violence against women and girls. UN Women called these commitments “the strongest multilateral stand for women and girls in the past 30 years.” These commitments are a promising and […]
UNGA80: In Solidarity for Women’s and Girls’ Rights
Every Woman is heading to New York for the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week at a moment of profound global challenge. Conflicts continue to upend communities, hard-won rights are under threat, and rates of violence against women and girls remain deeply troubling. These realities serve as a stark reminder of the essential role human […]
Welcome Two New Powerful Leaders to Every Woman
Dear Global Community, I’m thrilled to share that two exceptional leaders have joined the Every Woman team. Farida Bena, PhD, our new Director of Diplomacy, has deep expertise in human rights, humanitarian aid, migration, and development, with work that spans the globe, from Geneva to Sub-Saharan Africa to South Asia. She has worked with […]
Human Rights Council: A Win for Women & Girls
Every Woman Diplomacy Team at the Human Rights Council, Geneva – Amjad Chatila, Farida Bena, Diane Vissoh By DIANE VISSOH On June 25, during the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, nations gathered for an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Ms. Reem Alsalem. Every nation […]
Every Woman Fellows – Shaping the Future of Equality
Nancy Akeyo, Kenya, participating in the Every Woman Fellowship, February 2025 The Every Woman Fellowship is an online, peer-to-peer leadership program that builds the capacity of women’s rights activists to advocate for laws and policies to end violence against women and girls. Since the program’s launch in 2021, over 400 women’s rights activists in 64 […]
Letter from New York – CSW69
Every Woman Diplomacy Team at the United Nations By DIANE VISSOH and AMJAD CHATILA Dear Global Community, We recently returned home from attending the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. It was our first time participating in this historic gathering, and experiencing CSW in person was incredibly, […]