Fellowship Opportunity for Women in Africa

Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellowship Program

July 2008 * August 2009

The Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellowship Program was founded in 1993 at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., in order to train women's human rights lawyers from Africa who are committed to returning home to their countries in order to advance the status of women and girls in their own countries throughout their careers. Over 50 women's human rights advocates from Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe have participated in the LAWA Program, and we hope to include Fellows from additional countries in the future.

The entire LAWA Fellowship Program is approximately 14 months long (from July of the first year through August of the following year), after which the LAWA Fellows return home to continue advocating for women's rights in their own countries. The LAWA Program helps defray the costs for women's rights attorneys from Africa who would not otherwise be able to afford a Master of Laws degree focusing on international women's human rights and the additional leadership training. The LAWA Fellowship provides the tuition for the Foundations of American Law and Legal Education Course (a U.S. $2,200 benefit) and for the LL.M. degree (a U.S. $39,390 benefit) at the Georgetown University Law Center, as well as professional development training. Candidates who are admitted to the LAWA Program must be prepared to cover the costs of all additional expenses (such as their visas, travel, housing, utilities, food, clothing, health insurance, books, etc.), and must be able to demonstrate to the U.S. Embassy for visa purposes that they have the funds available to cover those expenses (approximately $25,000). They must also affirm that they will return home after the LAWA Fellowship and continue to promote women's human rights in their countries throughout their careers.

The application deadline for the 2008-2009 LAWA Fellowship Program is September 26, 2008.

For more information and to apply, click here.