Call for Applications for the Legal Training Academy for Women’s Human Rights, 2017-2018

Call for Applications for the Legal Training Academy for Women’s Human Rights, 2017-2018

Deadline for applications: 6 February 2017

The Advocates for Human Rights is pleased to annouce the Call for Applications to participate in the Legal Training Academy for Women’s Human Rights, 2017-2018.

The Training Academy aims to build and develop the capacity of young, Russian-speaking lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (CEE/FSU) for litigation on women’s rights issues, including but not limited to violence against women, e.g. domestic violence and violence against particularly vulnerable women, and basic principles of victim assistance.

The Training Academy will provide the participants advanced and in-depth knowledge and practical exercises on women’s human rights protection in these three areas. The Training Academy will improve their practical skills in writing and advocacy in developing strategic litigation in the region both at the national and international levels through the use of regional and universal human rights mechanisms (e.g., ECHR, CEDAW, OP-CEDAW, ICCPR, and OP-ICCPR). The Training Academy also will acquaint participants with other European standards.

ELIGIBILITY:

Sixteen to eighteen participants will be selected among practicing lawyers and legal counselors working with human rights or women’s rights NGOs in the region. Successful applicants should:

• have a substantial and sustainable interest and a demonstrated commitment to women’s human rights advocacy and/or litigation and in using the law creatively to secure redress for women’s rights violations;
• have a professional relationship/affiliation for at least one year prior to the application with an institution/organization that has capacity to litigate women’s rights cases or has experience with litigation and preferably focuses its work on women’s human rights;
• have demonstrated interest and basic knowledge of the international and regional human rights law, legal standards and instruments;
• be committed and available to actively participate in all three sessions of the Training Academy (approximately one week every six months) and to be involved in intersessional work.

ABOUT THE TRAINING ACADEMY:

The Training Academy aims to:

·         Develop the capacity of lawyers to litigate cases concerning violence against women and violations of women’s rights at the national level, using national and international law to directly support victims;

·         Build participants’ capacity and skills to identify strategic litigation cases to pursue at the national, regional, and international levels;

·         Produce national, regional, and international litigation strategies to support legislative changes and effective implementation of laws;

·         Support any on-going litigation efforts in the area of women’s rights;

·         Facilitate the development of strategic relationships among the women’s human rights litigation community and mainstream human rights groups.

The Training Academy will consist of three sessions of five to seven days each that will be scheduled approximately every six months. The first session will focus on the development of legal feminist theories, establishment of the relevant regional and universal norms and standards, and the available legal remedies at the international and European regional levels. The second and third sessions will focus on practical exercises with the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and addressing the UN treaty bodies and will include Moot Court sessions.

The working language of the Training Academy is Russian. English/Russian interpretation will be provided.

All expenses related to the selected participants’ attendance at the three sessions of the Training Academy are covered by the organizers.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

The completed Training Academy application form and all supporting documents (see the application form for details) must be emailed 6 February 2017 to Rose Park at The Advocates for Human Rights at rpark@advrights.org.

The applicants short-listed for an interview will be contacted during February 2017 and the final selection will be completed by 28 February 2017.

The First session of the Training Academy is planned for late Spring 2017. The location will be announced in the Spring.