the equality effect

What the equality effect does

The Equality Effect (e²) is a Canadian-registered nonprofit founded in 2008 by human rights lawyer Dr. Fiona Sampson at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. The organization operates the 160 Girls Project, a multi-program initiative designed to enforce existing sexual violence laws rather than create new services, with primary implementation in Kenya. Its programmatic portfolio includes the foundational Constitutional Claim (a 2013 Kenya High Court decision that found police treatment of 100% of 160 child rape claims unconstitutional), a Police Training curriculum that has reached 99% of officers responsible for child rape investigations in Kenya, the Virtual Justice Clubs (VJC) youth advocacy program with a custom mobile app and the 160 Girls Justice Journal, a Prosecution and Judicial Engagement Initiative (with pilots launched in April and October 2025), and a Chiefs Community Initiative addressing private settlements. The technology stack is minimal: a VJC mobile app for content delivery, a Kenya police E-learning platform, and a DonorPerfect-powered donation portal. The organization is governed by separate Canadian and US boards of directors, holds charitable registrations in both countries (Canada: 84537-8009-RR0001; US: 82-2983135), and has been invited to expand the model into Malawi, Ghana, Nepal, Uganda, Peru, Colombia, Morocco, Mexico, the US, and Canadian Indigenous communities.

Name

the equality effect

Legal name

The Equality Effect

Website

https://theequalityeffect.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Equality Effect is a Canadian nonprofit operating the 160 Girls Project, which uses international human rights law and trauma-informed training to enforce child rape laws in Kenya and has been invited to expand to 10+ additional countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights and Gender Equality Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Services (611), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG), Safeguarding, Accountability & Compliance (ESG, Gender/GBV, Do No Harm) (BPADAEAM)

Keywords

• Human rights advocacy
• Gender equality programs
• Trauma-informed training
• Child protection services
• Legal aid nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The Equality Effect is a registered charity (Canada: 84537-8009-RR0001; US: 82-2983135) that operates entirely on donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations. Multiple donation mechanisms include one-time donations, monthly giving, stocks and securities, donor-advised funds, and legacy gifts in wills.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Equality Effect operates the 160 Girls Project, a human-rights program portfolio that enforces existing sexual-assault laws through a Kenya High Court constitutional precedent, police training curricula, prosecution and judicial training, youth-led Virtual Justice Clubs delivered via a custom app and printed Justice Journal, and a chiefs community initiative that prevents private settlements. Programs are delivered through direct partnerships with the Kenya National Police Service, the ODPP, the Kenya Judiciary, schools, and local chiefs, and are funded entirely by charitable donations.

Product overview

The Equality Effect (e²) operates the 160 Girls Project, a unified legal initiative comprising multiple interconnected programs that work together to end impunity for child rape. The portfolio includes: the foundational Constitutional Claim that secured the landmark High Court decision; the Police Training program that has trained 99% of police responsible for child rape investigations; the Prosecution & Judicial Engagement Initiative that extends trauma-informed practices through the justice system; the Virtual Justice Clubs that empower youth as equality advocates using the VJC App and 160 Girls Justice Journal; and the Chiefs Community Initiative that bridges police and community to prevent private settlements. These programs form a comprehensive 360-degree approach to ensuring access to justice for defilement survivors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 160 Girls Project: A unique legal initiative that challenges impunity for child rape, born from a landmark Constitutional claim involving 160 rape victims aged 3-17 years.
• Virtual Justice Clubs (VJC)

Products and services

• 160 Girls Police Training Human rights-based, trauma-informed legal education program designed to equip Kenya National Police Service officers with the skills to investigate defilement cases promptly, properly, efficiently, and professionally in compliance with the 160 Girls High Court decision. Delivered to police officers, supervisors, and embedded in Police College curricula; endorsed by the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General.
• 160 Girls Virtual Justice Clubs (VJC) Youth-led advocacy program enabling students to become justice advocates through videos, poetry, original art, music, dance, and interactive activities, and to distribute the 160 Girls Justice Journal to educate communities about the 160 Girls law. Implemented in partnership with schools, teachers, rape-rescue partners, and police.
• 160 Girls Prosecution and Judicial Engagement Initiative Trauma-informed curriculum and training initiative for prosecutors and judges to ensure respectful treatment and legal equality for child rape survivors as cases progress through the judicial system. Designed to be embedded in Prosecution College and Judicial Academy curricula. Pilot launched with 30 prosecutors in April 2025 and a judicial pilot in 2025 with Chief Justice Martha Koome opening the program.
• 160 Girls Chiefs Community Initiative Community engagement initiative partnering with local Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs in Kenya to address private settlements in child rape cases and bridge police-community relations, ensuring defilement crimes are properly investigated and not resolved through traditional private compensation.
• 160 Girls VJC App Custom mobile application used by Virtual Justice Club leaders containing original VJC art, poetry, music, videos, games, and links to human rights books and inspiring human rights heroes; supports the 6-month human rights education curriculum.
• 160 Girls Justice Journal Bi-weekly human rights education newspaper created by VJC leaders and distributed in local communities to share knowledge about sexual-based violence, defilement investigation steps, signs of defilement, and the 160 Girls court case. Distributed both in print and digitally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of child rape claimants now get preliminary access to justice within 3 months of reporting to police (vs 0% previously)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, foundational and minor.

• Ripples International (Tumaini Rape Rescue Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Equality Effect's inaugural rape rescue partner was Ripples International, based in Meru, Kenya. Mercy Chidi, the Ripples' Executive Director, invited e² to create a legal solution to the challenge of impunity for child rape, leading to the creation of the 160 Girls project. Ripples continues to serve as a VJC implementing partner.
• Kenya National Police ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 160 Girls Police Training is endorsed by the Inspector General of Police and implemented in partnership with the Kenya National Police Service. 99% of police responsible for child rape investigations have been trained. The curriculum is embedded in Police College curricula for sustainability.
• FIDA Kenya (Federation of Women Lawyers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnne Ireri, e²'s Global Legal Advisor, comes from her role as Executive Director of FIDA Kenya. FIDA Kenya has been involved in the 160 Girls constitutional claim legal team and continues as a key partner in justice reform efforts.
• Kenya Office of the Director of Public ProsecutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 160 Girls Prosecution Training pilot was launched in April 2025 with 30 prosecutors. The program is being scaled up to reach all 563 prosecutors in Kenya, with curriculum to be embedded in the Prosecution College.
• Kenya JudiciarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 160 Girls Judicial Training Pilot was launched with Chief Justice Martha Koome opening the program. Hon. Lady Justice Agnes Murgor, Past President of the International Association of Women Judges-Kenya, closed the pilot. Curriculum will be embedded in the Judicial Academy.
• CATAG (Community Action Towards Adolescents and Girls)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal VJC implementing partner that received reports of defilement from VJC leaders like Claire and informed children's officers and police. CATAG provides on-the-ground implementation support for VJC programs in Homabay County.
• Osgoode Hall Law School (York University)foundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Equality Effect was founded by friends who met completing their Ph.D.'s in equality law at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Canada: Elizabeth Archampong (Ghana), Winnie Kamau (Kenya) and Fiona Sampson (Canada). The founding team includes multiple legal academics.
• Vancouver Police DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vancouver Police Department participated in a photo trip down the 160 Girls police training memory lane alongside e² staff, demonstrating international interest in the model.
• Canadian High Commission to KenyaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya, Christopher Thornley, attended the 160 Girls Prosecution Pilot Training in April 2025, demonstrating diplomatic support for the program.
• International Equality Forum (Bogota, Colombia)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe 160 Girls project was invited to participate in an international equality forum in Bogota, Colombia as a leader in human rights impact measurement.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CREA: International human rights organization focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly in the Global South. Comparable to e² in centering bodily autonomy, legal advocacy, and Global South implementation.

Direct peers

• ECPAT International: Global network working to end the sexual exploitation of children, with country-level legal advocacy and policy reform. Highly comparable in child-protection focus, legal advocacy approach, and use of international human rights frameworks.
• Equality Now: International legal advocacy organization using domestic and international law to achieve legal and systemic change for women and girls. Directly comparable to e² in its use of legal mechanisms and constitutional/strategic litigation as a primary intervention, with similar global reach and gender equality focus.
• Together for Girls: Global partnership working to end sexual violence against children and adolescents, with presence in Kenya and other e² target countries. Closely comparable in subject matter (child sexual violence), target population, and multi-country implementation model.
• Tahirih Justice Center: Provides legal services, advocacy, and education to women and girls fleeing violence. Comparable to e² in combining direct legal advocacy with systemic training/policy reform, and in centering the legal system as the primary mechanism for survivor protection.

Broad incumbents

• International Justice Mission: Global organization that protects people in poverty from violence through legal accountability and justice system strengthening. Comparable to e² in training police/prosecutors/judges and pursuing systemic justice reform, though broader in scope (slavery, trafficking, violence).
• Plan International: Major international NGO advancing children's rights and equality for girls. Comparable to e² in girls' rights focus and multi-country operating model, but operating at significantly larger scale and broader programmatic scope.
• Human Rights Watch: Largest international human rights organization, with significant work on women's rights and sexual violence globally. Comparable to e² in use of international human rights law, though operating primarily through documentation/advocacy rather than direct training programs.
• Save the Children: Large international NGO focused on children's rights, health, education, and protection. Comparable to e² in addressing child protection issues, but with a substantially broader portfolio and institutional scale.

Regional players

• African Women's Development Fund: Pan-African grantmaking organization supporting women's rights organizations across Africa. Comparable to e² in geographic focus on Africa and gender equality mission, though operating as a funder rather than direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/equalityeffect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-equality-effect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about the equality effect