Access to Justice and Human Rights
The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) is partnering with the University of the South Pacific (USP) to host an exchange program in 2012 for 24 young legal professionals. Employing a legal empowerment approach, the program will focus on enhancing Pacific Island lawyers’ skills to advocate for and provide legal services to women. While governments in the Pacific recognize the challenges of addressing violence against women, lack of exposure to best practices, a small pool of women’s rights advocates and limited understanding of international legal standards among the advocates has hindered progress in protecting and advancing women’s rights in the region. The program will work with young lawyers from selected Pacific Island nations to create a stronger, better-educated group of advocates empowered to advance the rights of women, particularly those who have experienced violence.