Women's human rights

Three women have been charged with 'inciting prostitution' for not wearing veils and sentenced to 42 years in prison between them.

A video went viral of the three women, not wearing veils, handing out flowers to female passengers on a train in Tehran.

Weeks later, Monireh, Yasaman and Mojgan were arrested and have faced intense interrogation, solitary confinement and abuse.

Sign the petition calling on Iran’s Head of the Judiciary to revoke their charges and release them immediately.

Iran: 42 years in prison for promoting unveiling

Aziza Yousef
Aziza Yousef
Action

Free Saudi women who fought for the right to drive

Women in Saudi Arabia are finally allowed to legally drive. But in a cruel twist, the women who fought for this right have been arrested.
Online abuse of women
Online abuse of women
Research

Online abuse of women widespread in UK

Online abuse of women is widespread in the UK according to our new research. One in five women say they've been abused online, often resulting in real psychological harm. Read more and download our full report.
The background

Why we work on women's human rights

Human rights apply to all humans, right?
So why do we focus some of our work specifically on women's rights?
Good news

Yulia Tsvetkova released from house arrest

Russian women’s and LGBTI rights activist, Yulia Tsvetkova, was released from house arrest on 16 March. While she remains under travel restrictions and continues to face criminal and administrative proceedings for her women and LGBTI rights work, this is a positive development.
Rise Up participants take part in a stunt for International Women's Day
Rise Up participants take part in a stunt for International Women's Day
Blog

Getting girls talking about coerced marriage

Mashiyath Qurashy, part of our Rise Up programme, discusses her campaign to raise awareness about coerced marriage in her community.
Women demonstrating for equal rights
Women demonstrating for equal rights
Blog

How much would you risk for basic women’s rights?

Here in the UK and in my home country, USA, women are often put in positions in which our physical safety and bodily autonomy are at risk, but at the same time, we haven’t really had to fight for our rights in the way many other women and girls around the world are right now. It’s all too easy for us to take our rights for granted. What would you do if fighting for your rights meant facing torture? 
Thank you for suppor

Thank you for supporting Amal Fathy

Women's rights activist Amal Fathy was jailed for two years for posting about her experience of sexual harassment on Facebook. She has now been released.
Good news

Slovak Parliament rejects restrictive abortion bill

The Slovak Parliament rejected a bill aimed at preventing access to safe and legal abortion. If adopted, this bill would have undermined women’s privacy and autonomy, and subjected them to harmful stigma, humiliation and degrading treatment.
Pro-choice campaigners standing outside of Stormont calling for decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland
Pro-choice campaigners standing outside of Stormont calling for decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland

Abortion decriminalised in Northern Ireland

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Yulia Tsvetkova
Yulia Tsvetkova
Action

Six year sentence for drawing the female body

Yulia Tsvetkova could face 6 years in prison for making drawings of the female body. Email Russia demanding the charges are dropped.
Street in Norway where workers sell sex
Street in Norway where workers sell sex
Sex Workers

We won’t end gender-based violence without sex workers

We won’t end gender-based violence without sex workers
Article

'Knowing my rights saved me from forced marriage'

We have been helping to deliver community and school-based training about the dangers of early and forced marriage and FGM in Africa.
Article

FGM and Early & Forced Marriage in West Africa

These harmful practices have deep cultural roots, so society has been slow to accept much-needed human rights change.
Article

The power of radio

In parts of Western Africa radio has become one of the most powerful tools for raising awareness of human rights.
Article

Meet the inspirational women driving change in Burkina Faso

We are partnering with some incredible grassroots organisations in communities in Africa to end FGM and forced marriage.
Blog

Right to be free from rape

Shockingly over 1 in 10 people in the UK think being drunk or on drugs may be an excuse for non-consensual sex. This is not a grey area, if consent is not given, it’s rape.
News

Kate Beckinsale, Claire Foy, Jodie Whittaker and Olivia Colman call on Theresa May to change ‘cruel’ Northern Ireland abortion law

More than 60 women celebrities make an intervention on Northern Ireland abortion in letter to Theresa May.
Feature

Why I'm a Guilty Feminist

Deborah Frances-White talks about her award-winning podcast, refugee work and the realities of being a feminist.
News

75% think Northern Ireland abortion law should change

Our new research is the first major opinion poll since the Republic of Ireland voted 'yes' in their own abortion law referendum. Read the full story.
News

Northern Ireland: woman who bought abortion pills for daughter in court to challenge prosecution

A challenge to a decision by the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland to prosecute a mother for buying her then 15-year-old daughter abortion pills online gets underway today in a Belfast court.
Argentinian abortion protester
Argentinian abortion protester
Blog

Argentina’s abortion vote was a stepping stone not a setback

After a marathon 16-hour debate, senators decided to reject an abortion law that would have saved countless lives. Despite this setback, change is inevitable.