Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C is currently seeking applications for the 2012-2013 Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellowship Program aimed at training women’s human rights lawyers from Africa who are committed to returning home to their countries in order to advance the status of women and girls in their own countries throughout their careers. The fellows earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the Georgetown University.
Goals of the LAWA Fellowship Program
- Provide a unique opportunity for African lawyers to learn about legal, public policy, and human rights issues affecting women;
- Expose African lawyers to different legal, leadership and advocacy skills that may be implemented or adapted for use in their home countries to advance women’s human rights;
- Expand the pool of lawyers in Africa who are concerned with laws and public policies affecting African women, and whose skills enable them to advocate more effectively for women’s human rights in their home countries;
- Forge new links between those working on the similar women’s human rights issues in Africa and Washington, DC, consciously coordinating efforts and sharing information;
- Enable African lawyers to perform meaningful work during the Fellowship with public interest organizations in Washington, DC;
- Demonstrate to women’s rights lawyers the intimate connection between policy-making and lawyering;
- Contribute to the crucial work being done in African countries to improve the status of women;
- Increase the understanding of women’s rights as legal and public policy issues of equal importance to women and men;
- Spark effective research, writing and advocacy initiatives to improve enforcement of laws and regulations designed to improve the status of African women; and develop a forum for leaders and other prominent policy makers in Washington, DC, to address legal, public policy, and human rights issues relating to African women.
About the Program
The entire LAWA Fellowship Program is approximately 14 months long (from July of the first year through August of the following year), after which the LAWA Fellows return home to continue advocating for women’s rights in their own countries. The LAWA Program starts in July, when the Fellows attend the Georgetown Law Center’s Foundations of American Law and Legal Education course. From August through May, the LAWA Fellows earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at Georgetown with an emphasis on international women’s human rights and complete a major graduate paper on a significant women’s rights issue in their home countries. After graduation, the LAWA Fellows have an opportunity to engage in challenging work assignments for several months at various public interest organizations to learn about different advocacy strategies to advance women’s human rights, before returning home to continue advancing women’s human rights in their own countries.
Qualification and Conditions
- Must be a women’s human rights lawyer from Africa.
- As a requirement of participation in the LAWA Program, all applicants must commit to return home to their own countries upon completion of the Fellowship, and to use their best professional efforts to advance women’s human rights in their counties throughout their careers.
- Candidates who are awarded a LAWA Fellowship must be prepared to cover the costs of all additional expenses (such as visas, travel, housing, utilities, food, clothing, health insurance, books, fees, etc.), and must be able to demonstrate to the U.S. Embassy for visa purposes that they have the funds available to cover these expenses (over U.S. $25,000).
Last date for submission of applications is February 1, 2012.
For more information, visit this link.
