After a successful first year, the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) launched the second year of its Waging Justice for Women Fellowship today. Ten early-career women lawyers in Africa will receive an annual salary funded by CFJ and an opportunity to work with leading human rights organizations across Africa to promote gender justice for women and girls. The Fellowship is administered in partnership with the Legal Empowerment Fund at the Fund for Global Human Rights.
Across the world, women and girls continue to face discrimination, injustice, inequality, and violations of their rights. CFJ’s Waging Justice for Women Fellowship program aims to equip the next generation of women lawyers with the tools and resources they need to advance the rights of women and girls in their communities.
“I am very proud of our first cohort of fellows. They have grown as lawyers and leaders and were often a lifeline for women in need of justice, serving thousands in their communities,” said Amal Clooney, co-founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice. “CFJ is thrilled to launch the second year of this Fellowship and excited to work with our partner organizations to support and mentor more legal changemakers. I encourage more passionate young lawyers working across Africa to join us in waging justice for women.”
Each of the 10 fellows will be placed in a different organization across Africa. The fellows spend one year working with their host organizations on a wide variety of women and girls’ rights issues. They support at least one strategic litigation case designed to advance women and girls’ rights in national, regional, or international courts, or UN human rights mechanisms. The fellows receive mentorship, monthly online training, and access to leading lawyers, activists, and academics from across Africa and around the world.
“It has been an honor to lead the first year of the Fellowship program and to work with such an inspiring group of feminist lawyers. They have worked on over 200 cases, supported their host organizations to expand access to justice services for women and girls and formed strong professional and friendship bonds with each other,” said Sabrina Mahtani, Director of the Waging Justice for Women Fellowship program.
“We are thrilled to have supported them this year and look forward to supporting their leadership journeys as part of our alumni network.”
Waging Justice for Women is proud to partner with dynamic organizations and experienced women lawyers who have been doing this courageous work for decades.
“Our partnerships with these formidable African organizations, allow us protect and promote the rights of women and girls” said Angela Mudukuti, Legal Director of Waging Justice for Women, “the Fellowship program has allowed us to deepen these partnerships, including by devising and supporting ground-breaking strategic litigation.”
For the full list of Fellowship organizations, please click here.
Speaking of a Waging Justice For Women fellow from the class of 2024 hosted by her organization, lawyer Bowoulo Taylor Kelley, Vice President of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), said”
“We consider it an honor to mentor this professional, dedicated, and passionate young lawyer who has brought so much pride to our noble institution. She has enabled us to expand our free legal services for women and girls. We look forward to hosting another fellow next year.”
Esther Muigai-Mnaro, Programme Manager at the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) in Tanzania, said:
“Having a WJW Fellow has brought something new and fresh to our team. With her passion and knowledge surrounding feminist lawyering, our fellow continuously introduces and highlights the gender perspective to the cases and work of PALU. We look forward to partnering with CFJ and working with a fellow for a second year.”
Applications for the Fellowship are now open. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in October and begin their placements in January 2025.
About the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s Waging Justice for Women Initiative:
Waging Justice for Women helps women and girls access justice and advocate for their rights when those rights are violated. Along with key partner organizations, WJW is working to overturn laws that allow child marriage, to end legal barriers to girls’ education, and reform laws that either permit or fail to criminalize sexual and gender-based violence. With its partners, WJW establishes women-for-women legal aid clinics that provide free legal support to women. The WJW Fellowship program for early-career African women lawyers empowers the next generation of women’s rights lawyers, in eight different countries in Africa. The Fellowship is planning to expand its geographical scope in future.
For more information please visit: www.cfj.org
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