Clooney Foundation for Justice Announces 2026 Waging Justice for Women Fellows
Vitumbiko Phiri
Vitumbiko Phiri is a Malawian lawyer serving her Waging Justice for Women Fellowship with the Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (CHREAA). She holds an Upper Second-Class Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the University of Malawi and has a strong passion for criminal justice and human rights; more specifically women and children’s…
Fortunate Chilenje
Fortunate Chilenje is a human rights lawyer from Zimbabwe serving her fellowship at the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) in Tanzania. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Great Zimbabwe University and a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria, graduating with distinction. She received the Nelson…
Yvonne Kiprop
Yvonne Kiprop is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a dedicated member of FIDA-Kenya, currently serving her fellowship at the Katiba Institute. Her professional journey is underpinned by a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law. Building on this academic…
Siphokazi Mlindazwe
Siphokazi Mlindazwe is a South African attorney serving her fellowship with the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, where she is placed within the Women’s Socio-Economic Rights Department. Her commitment to justice is rooted in her lived experience as a Black woman who has seen first-hand how gendered and structural inequality shape everyday life. She…
Rolanda Mariama Kondeh
Rolanda Mariama Kondeh is a Sierra Leonean lawyer serving her fellowship with AdvocAid. She earned her Bachelor of Laws from Fourah Bay College and completed her professional training at the Sierra Leone Law School before being called to the Sierra Leone Bar in 2023. From the onset of her legal career, she has centered her…
Fatou Mbenga
Fatou Mbenga is serving her fellowship with the Female Lawyers Association-Gambia (FLAG). Her expertise lies in the litigation of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Working as a State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Justice, she managed criminal prosecutions on behalf of the State for SGBV survivors and served the Ministry’s SGBV…
Deborah Raduba
Deborah Raduba is serving her fellowship at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Her academic and professional work is grounded in a long-standing commitment to human rights, with a particular focus on women’s access to land, housing, and property rights. She specialises in advancing equitable access to land and secure tenure;…
Bendu Kpoto
Bendu Kpoto is a Liberian public interest lawyer who is serving her fellowship with the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL). As a WJW Fellow, she is advancing high-impact legal advocacy that strengthens protections for women and children nationwide. Bendu earned a Bachelor of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Laws in General Law…
Abigail Nthuba
Abigail Nthuba is an Attorney from Botswana and is serving her fellowship at the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa. As the founder of the Gender Justice Advocacy & Litigation Center, she provides free legal aid to survivors of gender-based violence. She previously served as State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers and as a Legal…
Lusayo Mulaga
Lusayo Mulaga is serving her fellowship with the Women Lawyers Association Malawi, stepping into this role with a strong commitment to advancing justice for women and marginalized communities. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Malawi, where her passion for human rights first took root. Her journey has been shaped by…
TrialWatch Report Exposes Evidence of Abuse of Process in Trial of Renowned Georgian Journalist
Georgia v. Mzia Amaglobeli
A 2026 Clooney Foundation for Justice TrialWatch Fairness Report found that the trial and conviction of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli violated her right to a fair trial and constituted an abuse of process. Her prosecution was particularly alarming as it came amid a deterioration of press freedom and judicial independence in Georgia under the pro-Russian…