Call for Applications: South Asia Sub-Regional Feminist Legal Theory and Practice Training! Deadline: 14 October 2016

Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and the Suriya Women’s Development Centre (SWDC) is seeking applications for its South Asia Sub-Regional Feminist Legal Theory and Practice (FLTP) Training, which will be held in from 10-15 December 2016 Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Sub-Regional FLTP will focus on building the capacity of judges, lawyers, activists, paralegals, prosecutors, case workers, para-legal volunteers and defense lawyers on feminism and law that is relevant to human rights, law and development work in South Asia.

The FLTP framework has feminism as its core and human rights as its foundation.  The training seeks to challenge the traditional notion that law is a neutral, objective and rational set of rules, unaffected by the perspective of those who wield power in societies. Participants are enjoined to appreciate and analyze the social, cultural and political contexts that shape the legal system.  Understanding that law (as a culture, system and as an institution) is a reality that women face and engage with, it is essential for women’s rights activists to explore how law can be utilized to transform women’s lives.

Objectives

• To enable participants to share their experiences of feminist legal advocacy
• To develop greater understanding of gender, discrimination, equality, law and human rights
• To identify and address dilemmas encountered by women’s rights advocates in their use of legal strategies to address women’s rights
• To enhance the capability of participants to effectively challenge discriminatory laws and practices in their countries by feminist, rights-based legal practice and by applying international conventions and precedents for advancement of women’s human rights
• To ignite campaigns to advance women’s human rights in South Asia
• To build a network of feminist legal practitioners and activists at the sub-regional level

Themes

• Women’s lives and realities;
• Feminism and women’s movement;
• Structural and systemic forces of oppression Globalization, Fundamentalism and Militarization and patriarchy;
• Trade and economic policies;
• Women, human rights and developments in international law;
• Strategies for feminist legal theory and practice.

Benefits

• APWLD will cover costs of board and lodging for the 6-day training (inclusive of a 1-day solidarity activity).
• In addition, APWLD will also cover costs of discounted economy airfare to and from Colombo, Sri Lanka, visa fee, airport tax, travel tax.
• All additional travel related expenses must be informed by the participant to APWLD beforehand for approval or participant will not be reimbursed for those expenses.

Eligibility Criteria

• Training is open to men and women development workers and women human rights defenders
• APWLD members as well as non-members from South Asia may apply
• Judges, lawyers, paralegal, activists, prosecutors, case workers, defence lawyers who engage with law or use law for issues of social justice may apply
• Activists and development workers engaged with the SAARC and other international and sub-regional bodies
• Proficiency in English, as the medium of communication and learning material will be in English. Applicants who are not proficient in English must indicate in their application and might also be considered where other participants have agreed to act as translators

How to Apply

All applicants should submit a completed application form via email given on the website along with their Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Eligible Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

For more information, please visit Call for Applications.