The Clooney Foundation for Justice’s Waging Justice for Women initiative is working to change cycles of discrimination, by transforming the law from a tool of oppression into a driver of change. Working hand in hand with grassroots organizations, CFJ uses legal empowerment, strategic litigation, and public advocacy to challenge injustice against women and girls. We work closely with these expert partner organizations to provide legal and advocacy support, amplifying their work and causes.
For too long, the law has served as a tool of oppression against women and girls, who continue to face inequality throughout the world. When so-called justice systems permit child marriage but punish pregnant students, girls cannot access the education they deserve. When governments criminalize certain behaviors on the basis of “morality” but fail to investigate pervasive sexual violence, they signal that women should be devalued and externally defined. And when the legal profession hinders female lawyers from reaching positions of power, CFJ perpetuates and exacerbates these cycles of discrimination.
CFJ has seen first-hand how lawyers can reform discriminatory laws and obtain justice for survivors of abuse. CFJ is proud to launch Waging Justice for Women Fellowship, a new effort to empower the next generation of feminist lawyers to advance rights for women and girls in their communities.
The aim of CFJ’s Waging Justice for Women Fellowship Program is to equip African gender justice champions with the tools they need to challenge inequality through the courts.
The ten host organizations partnering with CFJ on the Fellowship Program in 2023-2024 are:
- AdvocAid, Sierra Leone
- Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia, Liberia
- Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance, Malawi
- Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, South Africa
- Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, The Gambia
- Katiba Institute, Kenya
- Legal Resources Centre, Ghana
- Pan-African Lawyers Union, Tanzania
- Southern African Litigation Centre, South Africa
- Women Lawyers Association, Malawi
Benefits
- Salary for 12 months will be provided by the fellowship.(Commensurate with local salary bands for early career lawyers.)
- Additional travel or work expenses may be covered at the discretion of CFJ and/or the host organization by the fellowship.
Eligibilities
- Must have a qualifying law degree.
- Must be an African woman lawyer.
- Admitted to practice as a lawyer in at least one of the countries of the host organizations.
- At least two years of post-qualification experience in the legal field. (As this fellowship is for early-career women lawyers, women with more than five years of legal experience post-qualification are less likely to be considered).
- Experience in women’s rights and working in human rights organizations preferred
- Must have citizenship or work authorization in either Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, or Ghana.
- Have experience working with survivors and/or impacted communities.
- Have experience integrating gender and child-sensitive perspectives into substantive work.
- Interested in gender equality and women’s rights.
- Commitment to the mission and goals of the Clooney Foundation for Justice and relevant host organizations.
- 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 social justice and human rights and creativity in crafting strategies to advance justice in our priority areas.
- Willingness to travel will be considered an asset.
- Fluency in English required; proficiency in other working languages relevant to the countries of host organizations preferred.
Application Process
- Applications have to be made through online the online form available at the apply link.
Application Deadline: April 8, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
