Canadian Bar Association

Published purpose

The goal of this project is to improve legal services for children and youth in East Africa, so that they have access to legal protection when they need it. Although children and youth represent between 43% and 49% of the population in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, their rights are not well protected by the justice systems of their respective country. Children and youth face challenges such as discrimination against girls, child labour, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child trafficking. The project includes creating national working groups and establishing legal aid and pro bono services for children and youth as well as law reform. It includes delivering public education programs to raise awareness about children’s rights and issues that affect children and youth, as well as about the legal services available to help children and youth. The project also provides training on children’s rights for judges, lawyers, court workers, and government officials and professional training for lawyers and paralegals to equip them to handle juvenile cases with a pedagogy that explains the different needs of girls and boys. The project also aims to strengthen both the formal and informal administration of justice by improving the capacity of both court and local dispute resolution mechanisms.