What We Offer
- A paid work placement at a human rights organization, a university legal aid clinic, or government legal institution in Kenya, Malawi, The Gambia or South Africa carrying out groundbreaking work to end violence against women and children through legal representation and advice, strategic litigation and the innovative use of technology to inform women of their rights and make prosecutors and pro bono lawyers more efficient.
- Mentorship by the Justice for Women & Children Programme Director, host organizations’ supervisors and human rights experts from the region
- At least one in-person convening with other fellows and supervisors as well as senior CFJ leadership and an extensive monthly online training Programme led by human rights experts
- Access to a global network of leading human rights experts, lawyers, judges, activists and academics as well as other next-generation leaders.
- Enrollment in the CFJ Fellowship Alumni Programme network upon completion of the fellowship year for continued support, knowledge sharing and collaboration
Our Expectations
At the start of the Fellowship, CFJ, the host organization and the Fellow will agree a workplan focused on legal work addressing violence against women and children. The workplan will include at least one major strategic litigation case undertaken with CFJ.
- Support the legal work of their host organizations which may include providing direct legal assistance, research, representation, drafting and advocacy. Specific duties are context specific and dependent on the host organization’s mandate.
- Identify and support at least one strategic litigation case with CFJ case designed to advance the rights of women and children in national or regional courts or an international court or body.
- Carry out at least two outreach activities for students focused on the rights of women and children.
- Participate in the Fellowship Programme activities, including mentoring, training and networking opportunities.
- Be based in the home country where their host organization is located and have the right to work there.
Required Qualifications
- A law degree from a recognized academic institution
- Practicing Certificate: The applicant must be admitted to practice as a lawyer in the country of the selected host organization
- Relevant Work experience:
- Up to 5 years of experience in the legal field following graduation from law school/qualification as a lawyer in your jurisdiction.
- Experience in women’s rights and working in human rights organizations preferred
- Work authorization in the relevant host country:
- Specifically, have the right to work in the host organization’s country: Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, or The Gambia. [Please note that costs relating to international relocation and acquiring work authorization cannot be supported].
Relevant Skills/Competencies
- Alignment with CFJ’s mission and goals and those of the relevant host organization
- A demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding
- Excellent research, writing and verbal communication skills
- Self-starter with excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills
- Demonstrated commitment to justice and human rights, and creativity in crafting strategies to advance justice for women and children who are victims of violence or child marriage
- Additional experience working with survivors and/or impacted communities preferred
- Willingness to travel
- Experience working with vulnerable individuals including children or victims of violence would be useful
- Fluency in English required; proficiency in other working languages relevant to the countries of host organizations preferred
The Fellowship is a full-time, one-year placement from January 2027 – December 2027.
The Fellowship is in-person and fellows are expected to be based at the offices of their host organizations. Hybrid working may be accommodated by the host organizations on a case-by-case basis.
As fellows will be placed in several organizations across four countries in Africa, most of the mentorship, peer networking, and training elements of the Programme provided by CFJ will occur online. However, CFJ does plan to organize an in-person convening of the class at least once during the Fellowship year.
This will depend on the needs of individual host organizations. Fellows should expect to travel occasionally within the region to attend Fellowship Programme events and potentially may be required to travel to assist with the legal work of their host organizations.
An ideal candidate for CFJ’s Fellowship Programme will be an early-career African woman lawyer (less than five years of professional experience, post-admission) who is admitted to practice law in the country of one of the host organizations.
Fellows will be embedded with a specific host organization for the entire year and will support that host organization’s litigation and legal advocacy portfolios relating to women and children’s rights.
While CFJ will try and accommodate preferences for choice of host organizations, where that is not possible, fellows may be matched based on their citizenship, residency or work authorization in a particular geographical location, as well as their admission to practice law in that location.
Under the CFJ Fellowship Programme, host organizations will provide their respective fellows with the equivalent in local currency of a competitive gross annual salary. Additional travel or work expenses may be covered at the discretion of CFJ and/or the host organization.
There is no fee to apply for the CFJ Fellowship Programme.
Applications for the 2027 class of the CFJ Fellowship Programme will open on September 8, 2026, and will close on October 20, 2026. Those selected for a Fellowship should expect to begin in January 2027.
For application questions, email [email protected]. Given the volume of applications, CFJ will contact shortlisted candidates only.