The Advocates for Human Rights; the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation (BGRF); the International Network for Economic, Social and Culture Rights; and the European Women Lawyers' Association are pleased to announce the call for applications to participate in the training program of the Sixth Round of the Women's Human Rights Training Institute (WHRTI), 2016-17. Applicants must be from countries in Central and Eastern Europe and in the Former Soviet Union.

The first of its kind, WHRTI aims to build and develop capacity of young lawyers from Central and Eastern European and the Newly Independent States for litigation on women's rights issues, including:

•       violence against women;

•       sexual and reproductive health and rights; and

•       social and economic rights and employment discrimination.

WHRTI participants gain:

•       advanced, in-depth knowledge and practical exercises on women's human rights protection in the three focus areas noted above;

•       improved practical skills in writing and advocacy for development of strategic litigation in the region, both at the natoinal and international levels;

•       greater knowledge of the European Union standards in the field of equal treatment of women and men, including the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. 

Twenty-five participants will be selected among practicing lawyers and legal counselors working with human rights or women's rights NGOs in the region. Successful applicants should have a: 

•       substantial and sustainable interest and demonstrated commitment to women's human rights advocacy and/or litigation and in using the law creatively to secure redress for women's rights violations;

•       professional relationship/affiliation for at least one year prior to the applicatoin with an institution/organization that has capacity to litigate women's rights cases or has experience with litigation and preferably focuses its work on women's human rights;

•       demonstrated interest and basic knowledge of the international universal and regional human rights law, legal standards, and instruments;

•       commitment and availability to actively participate in all three sessions of the Institute (approximately one week every six months) and a commitment to be involved in the intersessional work;

•       fluency in written and spoken English and advanced English language comprehension. 

The completed WHRTI application form and all supporting documents must be sent to the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation by June 30, 2016, to the following email address: office@bgrf.org and whrtinstitute@gmail.com. 

The applicants short-listed for an interview will be contacted by July 20, 2016. The final selection will be completed by August 15, 2016.

Click here to obtain an application form and information about WHRTI.