We are committed to the relentless pursuit of legal equality in the family, as a prerequisite for a world in which every woman and girl can reach their full potential, and countries can enjoy economic prosperity and sustainable development.
Advance gender equality
Achieving equality in the family is a vital step towards realising equality in society. The reform of family law will pave the way for gender equality nationally and globally.
Defend human rights
To attain equality in the family for all women and girls, family law must be recognised as a priority human rights concern, at an international, regional and national level.
Transform power relations
Improvements in legislation and policy are necessary, but not sufficient. Transforming gender and power relations is critical to challenging inequality within families.
About
thecampaign
The Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL) is a concerted and strategic global effort to draw attention to and call for the reform of discriminatory family laws, as part of fundamental women’s rights and human rights issues. We want to achieve equality for women, girls, and other marginalised groups, under laws, policies, and practices that relate to families in all their diversity, regardless of religion and culture.
GCEFL is led by a Coordinating Committee of eight leading women’s rights, human rights and faith-based organisations – Equality Now, Act Church of Sweden, Latin America and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM), Musawah, Muslims for Progressive Values, Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) represented by the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), Women’s Learning Partnership, and UN Women.
What we do
Attaining equality in the family is a necessity, not a choice; it is the foundation stone upon which an equal society will stand. Through a collaborative, three-tiered approach, we will:
What is
Family Law?
GCEFL addresses family law as a body of statutes, rules and regulations, court procedures, and customary and uncodified laws and practices that govern relationships within family units. It includes, but is not limited to, areas of marriage and family relations that fall under Article 16 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), such as rights of women and men entering into marriage, divorce, custody and guardianship of children, property rights, as well as equal rights to inheritance.
The
Issue
Without equality in the family, we cannot have equality in society. Discriminatory family laws put women and girls at a marked disadvantage, inhibiting their educational attainment, economic participation and opportunity, health and survival, and political empowerment. Unequal family laws don’t just impact the individual, they also impede economic prosperity and sustainable development at a national and global level.
Our
Solution
GCEFL wants governments across the world to live up to their responsibility to protect and promote the rights of all women and girls within the family. We will do this by unifying and catalysing an international movement, bringing together like-minded advocates and allies for family law reform from around the world.
Relentless pursuitof legal equality in the family,as a prerequisitefor a worldin which everywoman and girlcan reachtheir fullpotential.
JOIN US
We believe in the power of collective action. We want to build a global voice demanding equal rights for women and girls in all matters relating to the family.
Become a member: Join GCEFL as a member to participate in global and regional advocacy, benefit from national level amplification, share thought leadership and expertise, and access information and resources.
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our mailing list
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