The Fiji Times reports…
The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) in partnership with the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development has organised an online National Feminist Legal Theory and Practice Training (NFLTP) for Fiji.
The training will be held from 1 – 5 November 2021 via Zoom.
This is a first ever virtual training on this subject and for FWCC to organise in Fiji.
This training will be facilitated by resource persons who are Fiji nationals and have great expertise on feminist theories.
“This is the first time we are organising a national FLTP in Fiji, we really hope this training provides feminist perspective to the young feminists and lawyers who are sincerely advocating and working towards upholding women’s human rights in Fiji,” said APWLD Feminist Law and Practice Program Officer Sadia Khan.
The training aims on building capacity and developing the skills of Fiji based activists and lawyers in analysing and critically engaging with laws from a feminist and rights-based perspective, and in building campaigns to advance women’s rights in Fiji.
Participants will address the social, cultural and political contexts that shape the legal system.
During the training, participants will apply the principles learnt to a law, policy or practice limiting women’s human rights and are encouraged to develop strategies to change the practice.
It will also help build a strong supportive network and movement of feminist legal practitioners and activists within Fiji.
“Women’s rights are human rights. Unfortunately, till this day, there are many challenges faced by women and girls in Fiji when trying to access and advance their rights.
There is a need to come up with feminist legal strategies to mitigate these challenges while recognizing the intersectionality of women’s experiences.
We must build a community of legal activists, lawyers, and policy makers and implementers who are committed to transforming discriminatory laws, policies and practices and increasing women’s access to justice.
This training is a step towards achieving that,” said FWCC Legal and Advocacy Officer Stephanie Dunn.
“It is important to implement a feminist framework to fight the existing systemic and structural barriers.
It is a known fact that in times of crisis, women and girls are the ones most affected.
Bearing that and the COVID-19 pandemic in mind, it is important that we engage more with our network members on national levels to initiate movement building, focus on strengthening capacities of women human rights lawyers and activists through training and strategic support.
“Furthermore, the law can be very transformative, yet repressive.
It is a double-edged sword as it works for and against human rights.
That said, using different legal approaches, utilizing evolving feminist theories and principles, human rights standards in analyzing the situation of women to formulate and implement strategies to address the challenges that they face, can be effective in impacting policy and law changes,” said FWCC Coordinator Shamima Ali.
Participants of this training includes lawyers, activists and women oriented organizations focused on empowering and improving situations for women in Fiji.
Participating organizations:
· Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation;
· Pacific Disability Forum;
· DIVA for Equality;
· FemLink Pacific;
· Medical Services Pacific;
· Fiji Women Lawyer’s Association;
· Citizens Constitutional Forum;
· Fiji Women’s Rights Movement and
· Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre
