25th September 2024

Georgia – Third Party Intervention before the European Court of Human Rights, September 2024

Equality Now and the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre submitted a joint third-party intervention before the European Court of Human Rights in the case of M.D. v. Georgia. The case concerns allegations of insufficient and ineffective criminal investigation into the applicant’s claims of sexual assault. It further concerns the applicant’s alleged re-victimisation during the investigation.

What’s included in the submission?

The submission aims to:

  • Analyse the shortcomings in the definitions of sexual violence crimes within Georgian law and identify challenges in enforcing these laws.
  • Examine sexual violence as a crime of discrimination and the multiple layers of discrimination inherent in such cases, as well as explore how discrimination manifests in the mishandling of such cases by the authorities.

Who’s it for?

  • The European Court for Human Rights
  • Law and policymakers
  • Legal professionals
  • Government institutions

Key takeaways and recommendations

  • It is submitted that inequality of treatment of women victims/survivors of gender-based violence and, in particular, sexual violence is intrinsic to this form of abuse. Female victims/survivors are attacked because they are women, and this form of abuse affects women disproportionately.
  • It is submitted that there are at least two clear legal purposes for routinely examining Article 14 of the ECHR in this context:
    • Identifying and addressing the multiple layers of discrimination inherent in gender crimes and
    • Exposing and remedying the impact of intersecting vulnerabilities that facilitate and perpetuate these crimes, where relevant.

Explore more resources

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Kazakhstan – Information for Consideration by Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at its Pre-Sessional Working Group in July 2025

In our submission, we detail concerns regarding laws related to sexual violence and child and forced marriage, as well as procedures and practices that effectively deny access to justice for women and girls who are survivors of sexual violence and child and forced marriage.

Intervention on the Activity Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa

Equality Now calls for stronger implementation of the Maputo Protocol, including lifting reservations, reforming discriminatory laws, ending FGM, and ensuring State accountability.

Intervention on the Activity Report of the Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa

Equality Now urges action to end gender discrimination in nationality laws and calls for the ratification of the AU Nationality Protocol.

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