May 23, 2008
Women's Centre for Legal Counselling Raahi - WCLC
Partner details
| Women's Centre for Legal Counselling Raahi - WCLC | |
| IR002G - http://www.raahi.org | |
| Organisation type: | Service organization /non-profit |
| Sector: | Gender, Women and Development |
| Founded : Counterpart since: | 2004 2004 |
| description: | |
| Women in Iran face different barriers and obstacles, when trying to access justice: unequal laws and procedures, legal gaps, no protective system, lack of gender or human rights perspective within judiciary, and lack of women's ability in defending themselves. In 2004 the organisation Women's Centre for Legal Counselling or Raahi was established, the first and only of its kind in Iran. Raahi aims to eliminate legal and de facto discrimination against women, and focuses on vulnerable women with legal problems that cannot be solved by themselves. During the first two years of its existence, Raahi offered counselling services to more than 800 women who came to Raahi mostly for family related problems (divorce, domestic violence). The Centre also defended almost 100 women in court, including women in critical conditions, eg. women facing the death penalty for self-defense, stoning for adultery, or long-term sentences (10 years or more). In 2005 Raahi saved 5 women from death penalty in 2005. Raahi established a Network of Volunteer Lawyers; at present encompassing 40 lawyers in four provinces. Raahi advocates for changes in the legal system, such as developing a new legal procedure for women accused of adultery, and has developed good working relationships with (semi)governmental institutions and the judiciary. Raahi is active part of a campaign to ban stoning forever. This campaign receives national attention and even support of the head of the judiciary, and international support. Hivos supports Raahi as it is the only institution that provides free legal advice and services to women with a women's human rights perspective. Its work is highly relevant and Raahi has so far proven to work effectively and efficiently. Its activities fit very well under the Gender Women and Development 2007-2010 company plan, and contribute to combating violence against women and to increased public demand for gender accountability: no to discrimination and gender inequalities. |
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Project details
| IR002G01 - Establishment of the Women's Centre for Legal Counselling, 2004-2006 | |
| DAC-sectors: | Reproductive and sexual health (BSS) Legal and judicial development |
| Location: | Tehran |
| Beneficiary: | indigenous peoples, ethnic/religious/cultural minorities |
| activity | Establishment of service centre |
| Direct outreach | 1000 - Beneficiaries: poor and/or marginalised women and men |
| Indirect outreach | 50 - Policy level/ institutional |
| Contract total: | 116.500 |
| Contractperiod: | 01-07-2004 untill 31-12-2006 |
| description: | |
| The new centre will be registered as a legal firm providing legal services to women free of charge. Office space will be hired in Tehran and staff will be recruited. The centre is planned to start its activities in July 2004: - Counselling services to women in the areas of family cases (divorce and domestic violence), criminal cases with women as offenders (such as abortion, homicide, indecent behaviour) and criminal cases with women as victims (honour killings, sexual harassment). It is estimated that in two years time several hundreds of women will be given legal advice. WCLC will accept about 25 cases for legal representation to courts. - WCLC will produce 8 articles and papers on women's issues and publish them in magazines and on the website. The papers will address fundamental legal problems of women in Iranian laws. - The Centre will conduct four workshops and seminars on women's legal rights. - A website will be built providing information and publish articles. The staff of the centre will consist three full-time staff including a professional attorney, a case manager and a director of legal affairs. The full-time staff will cooperate with a team of voluntary lawyers and attorneys, who will offer their services free of charge to women clients of WCLC. |
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Project details
| IR002G02 - Women's Access to Justice 2007 - 2009 | |
| DAC-sectors: | Human rights Legal and judicial development |
| Location: | Iran |
| Beneficiary: | indigenous peoples, ethnic/religious/cultural minorities |
| activity | lobby and awareness raising on womens legal rights |
| Direct outreach | - Policy level/ public opinion |
| Indirect outreach | - Policy level/ institutional |
| Contract total: | 240.000 |
| Contractperiod: | 01-01-2007 untill 30-09-2009 |
| description: | |
| Since its start, many women have turned to Raahi for support. As Raahi can only handle a limited number of cases itself, the next period is dedicated to increase its outreach, especially vulnerable women in South Tehran and provinces. Raahi will focus on the following three objectives: To improve the access of at least 3500 vulnerable women to legal empowering support: - Raahi will offer legal, social and psychological face to face counselling to 750 women (3 years) in South Tehran. - Raahi will train 15 students of law (men and women) in gender justice, women's human rights, counselling skills. These students will visit women in their neighbourhood and offer mobile legal counselling services to at least 300 women in total. This will be done in 5 deprived areas of Tehran, to be increased to 15 in 2009. To increase the number of lawyers, social workers, and professional counsellors (men and women) with gender and human rights perspective that offer organized services to vulnerable women - The Network of Volunteer Lawyers that has been established during the previous phase, will be further expanded from 40 to 100 volunteers, based in different parts of the country. These volunteer lawyers are trained by Raahi, and will offer legal counselling and services to at least 300 female prisoners. - Raahi will set up a Task Force of Volunteer Social Workers To influence the process of change in policies and laws in at least three main fields regarding women's rights - 18 articles regarding problems of women that came to the centre, will be published - Raahi will be actively involved in campaigns promoting women's rights and equality. |
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