Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and the Suriya Women’s Development Centre (SWDC) Invite Applications for the

1st South Asia Sub-Regional Feminist Legal Theory and Practice (FLTP) Training

10 – 15 December 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka

 DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 19 OCTOBER 2016

Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) will be conducting the 1 st South Asia Sub-Regional Feminist Legal Theory and Practice (FLTP) Training, which will be held in from 10-15 December 2016 Colombo, Sri Lanka.  This year the Sub-Regional FLTP will focus on building the capacity of judges, lawyers, activists, paralegals, prosecutors, case workers, para-legal volunteers and defence lawyers on feminism and law that is relevant to human rights, law and development work in South Asia.

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The FLTP training has been one of the core capacity building activities of APWLD that has now grown into a dynamic program that offers a unique model in the region. The FLTP as a training programme has been running for more than two decades and have over 600 FLTP Grads in at least 18 countries in the Asia Pacific. It enables participants to use feminist analysis and perspectives in legal practice and activism.

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 analyse 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 utilised to transform women’s lives.

During the course participants apply the principles to a particular law, policy or practice within their different country and issue context that impede on the women’s human rights and are encouraged to develop strategies and to challenge these practices.

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 19 OCTOBER 2016

The specific objectives of the training are:

  • 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

The training will focus on the following themes: women’s lives and realities; feminism and women’s movement; structural and systemic forces of oppression Globalisation, Fundamentalism and Militarisation and patriarchy; trade and economic policies; women, human rights and developments in international law; and strategies for feminist legal theory and practice.

People can apply based on the following 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

 Participants will be selected based on the following considerations:

  • Balance in country representation in South Asia
  • Combination of judges, lawyers, activists, paralegals, case workers, para-legal volunteers, prosecutors and academics engaging with the law for women’s human rights and social justice
  • Preference given to individuals with institutional affiliations and/or recommendations from APWLD network
  • The participant group size will be limited to 25

 Selected participants must:

  •  Attend the training in its entirety.
  • Respond to emails in a timely way as that will be the main method of communicating regarding deadlines, registration, hotel and travel arrangements.
  • Produce a Personal Action Plan towards the end of the training that demonstrates how they will utilise the training as part of a strategy to bring about changes in laws, policies or practices in their country.
  • Commit to respond to periodic follow up from APWLD after the training.

Procedure:

  • All applicants should submit a completed application form (see attached application form)and send it along with their Curriculum Vitae (CV).
  • A recommendation letter is needed from the institution/organisation that certifies that the person recommended has worked in the area of women’s human rights and is committed to applying the core learning points from the training in their future work.

Cost of the Training and Sponsorship:

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.

Download the form here OR

FILL UP THE ONLINE FORM BELOW

To apply, please review details below and email/fax completed application form to

Marion Cabrera, Programme Officer, Feminist Law & Practice, APWLD

 along with your Curriculum Vitae (CV)

and Endorsement Letter no later than

14 October 2016, Friday

Email: fltptraining@apwld.org

Fax: +66-53 280847

For applications sent via email, please indicate in the subject line:

“Application for South Asia Sub-Regional FLTP Training 2016”

Only selected candidates will be contacted for further details.

 

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