Media Defence is calling for applications from women lawyers based in sub-Saharan Africa to participate in a peer support programme, which is aimed at women lawyers with a demonstrated interest in digital rights, as well as in independent peer learning and peer support with fellow women lawyers.
The peer support programme will be the first such initiative within their new project Empowering Women in Digital Rights Advocacy. Media Defence aims to provide a platform for newly trained women lawyers to build their expertise and confidence, and to receive support on various issues relevant to women lawyers. At the same time, the peer support programme shall allow more experienced women lawyers to contribute to developing a strong professional network and to increase their competence and confidence by offering guidance to their peers.
The peer support programme will be designed as a one-to-one programme – one experienced lawyer will be matched with a newly trained lawyer taking into account their interests and backgrounds. Successful applicants will be matched and commit to meeting with their partner once a month online over a course of 12 months from October 2022 to October 2023. Participants will become active members of our Media Defence network, which will provide further opportunities for engagement regionally and internationally to develop a sustainable network of women lawyers.