Partner Organizations
The Global Justice Center could not achieve its successes without its partners. Since its inception, the GJC has worked, in particular, with the Women’s Alliance for a Democratic Iraq (WAFDI) and the Women’s League of Burma (WLB) to provide counsel and education in international law to women activists and leaders.
The GJC is a member of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and the NGO Working Group on the Security Council.
GEN: Gender Equality Network, Burma
GEN works to impact both the causes and the manifestations of gender inequality and discrimination in Burma. It does so by targeting key actors at different levels with the aim of addressing both structural causes of inequality, such as discriminatory laws and policies or the absence of protective and gender equal legislation; the failure to implement existing laws and policies aiming to safeguard women’s human rights; and the social and cultural norms and practices that contribute to gender inequality and discrimination at all levels of society. GEN has been instrumental in building a legal framework for the prevention of gender-based violence in Burma and is currently working on Burma’s new “Prevention (and Protection) of Violence against Women Law.”
CHANGE: Center for Health and Gender Equity
CHANGE’s emphasis is on promoting a comprehensive, human rights-based framework for U.S. sexual and reproductive health policies and programs. The framework addresses family planning, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, and maternal health. As part of this effort, CHANGE seeks to remove the ideology-based and counterproductive restrictions in U.S. policy, such as the Global Gag Rule, that hinder comprehensive approaches to sexual and reproductive health.
Nobel Women’s Initiative
The Nobel Women’s Initiative was established in 2006 by sister Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Betty Williams and Mairead Maguire. The six women — representing North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa — decided to bring together their extraordinary experiences in a united effort for peace with justice and equality. Aung San Suu Kyi became an honorary member following her release from house arrest in 2011, and Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman joined the Initiative in 2012. The Nobel Women’s Initiative uses the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize and of courageous women peace laureates to magnify the power and visibility of women working in countries around the world for peace, justice and equality.
European Women’s Lobby
The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is the largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in the European Union (EU), working to promote women’s rights and equality between women and men. EWL membership extends to organisations in all 28 EU member states and the three candidate countries, as well as to 20 European-wide bodies, representing a total of more than 2000 organisations.
Women’s League of Burma
The Women’s League of Burma is an umbrella organization comprised of twelve women’s rights groups in exile from Burma that are dedicated to women’s empowerment, human rights and democracy. Their aim is to enable women’s participation in all spheres of life and in particular, to facilitate women’s involvement in the national movement for peace, democracy and reconciliation. The WLB incorporates women of many different ethnicities in order to foster mutual understanding and solidarity among all women in Burma. WLB has created a nexus between grassroots, regional and international organizations connecting the grassroots activism of its member groups to pertinent advocacy organizations such as the Global Justice Center, and to international resources such as the United Nations.
Burma Lawyers’ Council
The Burma Lawyers’ Council is an independent organization which was formed in a liberated area of Burma in 1994 by a number of individual lawyers and legal academics.
Objectives of the BLC include promoting and assisting in the education, implementing, restoring and improving basic human rights, democratic rights, and the rule of law in Burma. It also includes assisting in the drafting and implementation a constitution for Burma, and in associated matters of legal education. Finally the BLC also participates and cooperates in the emergence of a civil society in Burma.
Women’s Link Worldwide
Women’s Link Worldwide is an international organization promoting gender equality through legal avenues. It works to advance women’s rights through the implementation of international human rights law, and the use of tribunals and strategic litigation. Women’s Link has three main areas of thematic focus: sexual and reproductive rights, gender violence and gender discrimination.
As an on-line “observatory” of legal precedent and strategies for working with the judiciary in national and international courts, Women’s Link is a resource for advocates and organizations dedicated to furthering women’s rights. Women’s Link also undertakes legal advocacy projects designed to promote human rights norms.
NGO Working Group on Women, Peace, & Security
The NGOWG on Women, Peace and Security advocates for the equal and full participation of women in all efforts to create and maintain international peace and security. Formed in 2000 to call for a Security Council resolution on Women, Peace and Security, the NGOWG now focuses on implementation of SCR 1325 and all other Security Council resolutions that address this issue. The NGOWG serves as a bridge between women’s human rights defenders working in conflict-affected situations and policy-makers at U.N. Headquarters.
NGO Working Group on the Security Council
The NGO Working Group on the Security Council brings together about thirty five major NGOs for an annual series of meetings with Council ambassadors and high-level UN officials. Since 1997, the NGO Working Group has provided this unique platform for NGOs to access the UN Security Council. As the Security Council’s decisions affect nearly all NGO constituencies – including human rights, humanitarian relief, disarmament, governance, and the concerns of women and children – the Working Group works to maintain a diverse membership. Due in part to the diversity of its membership, the NGO Working Group as a whole does not undertake specific advocacy positions, but rather provides a forum for NGOs and members of the Security Council to come together to exchange information and build relationships for bilateral advocacy.
Former Partners
Women’s Alliance for a Democratic Iraq
The Women’s Alliance for a Democratic Iraq is an international organization dedicated to a free and democratic Iraq. WAFDI’s vision of equality is grounded in the values of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, among other human rights statutes, and as such, WAFDI is committed to the advancement and empowerment of women in all areas of society. WAFDI believes that women are a fundamental component for sustainable peace and democracy in the new Iraq and continually advocates for full and equal rights for women in civil society.