Update on AGLDF campaigns
Uganda--Rape of disabled girl: As mentioned in a previous update the government chemist finally released the DNA
results in Sanyu’s case, which pointed to the likelihood that the one brother who had not been tested was the perpetrator and the father of Sanyu’s child. Unfortunately that brother was found dead two months ago. Our partner LAPD has requested to have the body exhumed to conduct DNA testing but the police are not responsive. We are now considering finding a pro bono attorney to take the case on and possibly sue the government for failing to properly investigate the case.
Pakistan--Rape by police: As we pointed out in the previous update, the High Court found there was no evidence of rape and remanded the case to the lower court. In February, the lower court dismissed all the charges in Uzma’s case. Uzma was offered a job by the police which she has accepted. Our partners are trying to get the job transferred to Islamabad as the situation remains dangerous for her in her hometown.
Brazil--Sex tourism: Our NY Director Lauren, and the pro bono attorney in the case traveled to Manaus at the end of February to meet with the plaintiffs and our partner, IACAS. Equality Now will be providing more victim support to the women for psychological counseling and education and we will also be writing a letter on behalf of the girls to the local social welfare office to help the girls receive better housing and other needed support from the government. In the meantime, the prosecutors in the Brazilian criminal case will be sending their evidence to help us build our civil case and we have also partnered with a Brazilian law firm in order to help push the Brazil criminal case.
Additionally, the Brazilian Senate finished its own inquiry into the sex tourism allegations against the man who ran the fishing company as part of a larger inquiry into human trafficking in general and has completed a report. We
are reviewing the report and its recommendations, which are in Portuguese, and will then determine where to focus our advocacy efforts.
Thank you to all of our donors for your continuous support of the AGLDF. In this report, we are updating you on two of our advocacy campaigns aimed at breaking down the practice of early marriage. Early marriage, that is marriage before age 18, violates the human rights of girls by excluding them from decisions regarding the timing of marriage, choice of spouse and participation in sexual relations. When a girl gets married off as a child, her life becomes one of constant violence and discrimination. Often living with a man much older than herself, she is abruptly and violently initiated into sexual relations – suffering regular rapes by her husband and, unable to pursue an education, is less equipped to negotiate a secure and healthy life for herself. Worldwide there are 51 million girls between the ages of 15-19 that are currently married and, if nothing is done to address the issue, 100 million girls will be married before eighteen within the next decade.
We bring you good news on two issues we’ve campaigned on in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
Saudi Arabia - Equality Now followed the case of Fatima, a 12-year-old girl whose father sold her in marriage to a 50-year-old man for $10,665. We intervened to support Fatima’s paternal uncle who wanted to help his niece. In November 2012, the court granted Fatima a divorce, final three months later. Unusually, Fatima was not required to pay back the money given to her father by her husband for Fatima, which is a good precedent we would like to build on. We continue to work with Saudi activists to get a ban on all early marriage in Saudi Arabia.
Watch this VIDEO of a play written by Joss Whedon that illustrates some of our AGLDF cases, including the Yemen case which we reported to you previously. We helped to secure a divorce for 11-year-old Wafa, married off by her father to a 40-year-old farmer who subjected her to a year of sexual and physical abuse before she managed to run away.
Morocco - Equality Now also advocates to change early marriage laws worldwide. In Morocco the Ministry of Justice recently approved changes to the family code that would remove a provision that allows judges to permit marriages under the legal age. We are now waiting for the Moroccan Parliament to endorse these changes.
We hope you will continue to help us and to take part in our advocacy campaigns. Thank you again for your support.
Brazil – sex tourism
As mentioned in a previous update, the civil case against the sex tour operator was stayed in August 2011 pending the completion of the criminal investigation. The law firm filed a motion to lift the stay this past summer, and on November 28, 2012, the judge granted the motion lifting the stay. In his decision, the judge ruled that the pending foreign case does not require that the U.S. case be stayed. This is an exciting precedent as this is the first case to consider whether a pending criminal investigation or prosecution in a foreign country can stay a U.S. civil case brought under the federal trafficking law. We hope this precedent will help expand survivors’ rights and access to justice in the U.S.
The criminal case in Brazil is moving very slowly, but the government continues to take active steps on the issue of trafficking and child sexual exploitation. The Brazil senate is conducting a second inquiry on "child sexual exploitation" (the first inquiry was on "human trafficking"), and a group will travel to Manaus where they will be meeting with local government officials and NGOs on the issue. We have also identified a local organization that we hope to partner with on the ground.
