Senior Legal Advisor, Digital Rights

Job Title: Senior Legal Advisor, Digital Rights (EN-9)

Organization Unit: Securing Digital Rights
Reports To: Director, Securing Digital Rights

Supervises: This position does not supervise staff. 

Location: Remote, with candidates required to have the right to live and work in one of the South Asian countries - India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka Nepal, or the Maldives.

ABOUT EQUALITY NOW: 

At Equality Now, we aspire to create a world in which women and men have equal rights under the law and full enjoyment of their human rights. Our mission is gender equality. And how we get there matters. Here are the values behind everything we do.

Founded in 1992, we are an international human rights organization that works to protect and promote the rights of all women and girls around the world. Our campaigns are centred on four program areas: Legal Equality, End Sexual Violence, End Harmful Practices, and End Sexual Exploitation, with a cross-cutting focus on the unique needs of adolescent girls. We are truly global, and we have a team of 80+ people located all around the world. We have team members in Benin, Beirut, London, Geneva, San Jose, El Salvador, Argentina, Nairobi, Tbilisi, New York and Washington, DC among others.  We offer a great experience for talented people who are passionate about equality. To work here, you’ll need to share our core values of integrity and accountability, inclusiveness, resilience, and empathy. For more information, visit equalitynow.org  

MISSION OBJECTIVE:

The Senior Legal Advisor, Digital Rights advances Equality Now’s mission to achieve digital rights, safety, privacy and freedom law by providing expert legal leadership, driving strategic litigation and  national level advocacy by accompanying partners and governments,  and shaping impactful advocacy across  international and regional human rights mechanisms. 

As a thought leader and catalyst for change, the Senior Legal Advisor, Digital Rights develops innovative legal interventions, leads high-quality legal research and policy development, and delivers timely, contextually informed outputs that strengthen Equality Now’s advocacy impact at national, regional, and global levels. The role supports feminist, rights-based campaigns to end sexual exploitation and advance universal digital rights, while forging strategic partnerships and amplifying the voices of women and girls in key policy arenas

PORTFOLIO/TEAM OVERVIEW: 

This role ensures that legal international  laws and standards  are fit for purpose and are applied in the digital realm and  develops strategies to  dismantle systemic discrimination, prevent gender-based harms, and secure access to justice for women and girls on digital platforms - paying particular attention to TFGBV, sexual exploitation and abuse and the relationship between digital and physical harms.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following is a general outline of duties and responsibilities for this role. It is not an exhaustive list, and additional duties may be assigned or removed at the discretion of the Director, Securing Digital Rights.

Purpose: Analyze with Insight

• Identifies legal and policy design frameworks to inform strategic advocacy on TFGBV and digital rights.


• Develops and applies conceptual models to support global campaigns and organizational learning.


• Analyzes national, regional  and international legal systems to identify opportunities for policy change, legal reform, and advocacy leverage.


• Applies feminist and human rights frameworks to assess gaps and recommend policy and legal responses across multi-jurisdictional contexts.

Engagement: Collaborate 

• Collaborates with , and Communications to ensure strategic coherence and message alignment.


• Supports the preparation of internal strategy documents, campaign updates, funding proposals, and reporting deliverables.


• Engages stakeholders  internationally to promote legal and policy change.


• Builds strategic partnerships and participates in steering committees, national and global forums, and advocacy coalitions (e.g., AUDRi).


• Strengthens collaborative research and advocacy initiatives by aligning key messages and priorities with regional and thematic partners.

Delivery: Manage the Project Cycle

• Manages workstreams and deliverables related to two core campaign areas (OSEA and AUDRi), ensuring timely delivery aligned with agreed milestones and donor timelines.


• Tracks and updates audience/stakeholder mappings, campaign timelines, and implementation schedules.


• Delivers accurate, evidence-based legal research and analysis aligned with Equality Now’s strategic goals and campaign standards.


• Produces compelling policy briefs, stakeholder communications, and legal recommendations that support international standard-setting efforts and country-level advocacy.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS & TARGET SKILLS PROFILE:  

Substantive Knowledge

• Demonstrated expertise in international human rights law, legal responses to gender-based violence, and regulation of digital technologies.


• Understanding of TFGBV and online sexual exploitation and abuse as a form of gender-based violence rooted in structural inequality.


• Knowledge of legal frameworks governing platform accountability, extraterritorial jurisdiction, digital content regulation, and international cooperation.


• Familiarity with feminist legal theory and intersectional policy frameworks.


• Deep understanding of the digital rights landscape, including regulation of digital platforms, online harms, and protections for vulnerable populations.


• Legal familiarity with tensions between digital freedoms (e.g., expression, privacy) and the obligation to prevent and respond to online violence.


• Experience developing or contributing to international legal frameworks and cooperative mechanisms.

Communication Skills

• Fluency in English required; working knowledge of Arabic, French, Spanish, or Russian highly desirable.


• Adept at fostering cross-cultural collaboration and cultivating trust-based relationships consistent with the mission and values of Equality Now.


• Excellent legal writing and editing skills, able to produce persuasive and precise submissions, reports, and advocacy tools.


• Strong oral advocacy and presentation skills, with experience conveying legal arguments to diverse audiences including policymakers, UN bodies, donors, and the media.


• Ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external partners, maintaining strong relationships with civil society coalitions and legal experts.

Execution Skills

• Demonstrated project management experience, including planning, executing, and tracking complex legal projects across multiple jurisdictions.


• Ability to coordinate multi-stakeholder legal initiatives, including pro bono partners, consultants, and regional teams.


• Strong organizational and time-management skills with attention to detail, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality outputs.


• Capacity to document and systematize legal work for organizational learning and donor accountability.


• Flexibility to adapt to changing advocacy priorities and international legal developments.


• Willingness and ability to travel internationally and domestically, sometimes on short notice, to support regional teams, engage with partners, and represent Equality Now.

Targeted Specialized Knowledge

• Law degree (LL.B/J.D.) with demonstrated expertise in women’s rights, gender equality, or violence against women.


• Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent certification) strongly preferred.


• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in international human rights, legal advocacy, or women’s rights law.


• Strong academic background in law, international human rights, gender studies, or a closely related discipline - or equivalent professional experience.

CONSULTANCY FEE RANGE (Annual, Gross): USD $35,000 - $45,000 USD
The final consultancy fee within this range will be determined based on factors including geographic location, relevant experience, demonstrated skills, qualifications, and the agreed scope and duration of services.  

Consultant fees are set with consideration for the scope of work, level of expertise, and market benchmarks, and are intended to reflect the independent and professional nature of consultancy engagements.

HOW TO APPLY

Please visit:  and submit a resume/CV, cover letter. Deadline for applications is March 6, 2026.

Due to the volume of applicants anticipated for this role, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Equality Now is strong because it is diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Equality Now offers a competitive compensation package, including base salary, savings, health and vacation benefits, and is an Equal Opportunity employer. Equality Now employees are selected on the basis of ability without regard to race, colour, religious beliefs, sex, gender identity and expression, language, political or other opinion, nationality, ethnic or social origin, disability, pregnancy, mental status, HIV status, age, marital status, or sexual orientation. 

We welcome all kinds of diversity. Candidates are selected on the basis of ability, in accordance with all country and location-specific laws.