About this opportunity
Violence against women and children rarely meets a legal system that is resourced, informed or willing. The CFJ Fellowship was designed to put a trained lawyer inside the institutions already doing that work, for a full year, with mentorship and a strategic litigation case attached.
Fellows are embedded with one host organisation for the entire year. The 2027 placements are in-person at offices in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa or The Gambia, and the host list runs from the Katiba Institute and the Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Malawi, the Female Lawyers Association Gambia and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa. At the start of the year, CFJ, the host and the Fellow agree a workplan focused on legal work addressing violence against women and children, and that plan includes at least one major strategic litigation case run with CFJ.
The placement is paid rather than stipended. Host organisations provide the equivalent in local currency of a competitive gross annual salary, and additional travel or work expenses may be covered at the discretion of CFJ or the host. Around the salary sits a support structure: mentorship from the Justice for Women and Children Programme Director, supervisors at the host organisation and human rights experts from the region, a monthly online training programme, at least one in-person convening of the class during the year, and enrolment in the CFJ Fellowship Alumni Programme afterwards.
Applications for the 2027 class opened on 8 September 2026 and close on 20 October 2026 at 12 pm SAST. There is no application fee. Shortlisted candidates only are contacted, and those selected should expect to begin in January 2027.
What you receive
- A paid, full-time, one-year work placement from January 2027 to December 2027
- Placement with a human rights organisation, a university legal aid clinic or a government legal institution doing legal work on violence against women and children
- Mentorship from the Justice for Women and Children Programme Director, host organisation supervisors and human rights experts from the region
- At least one in-person convening with other fellows, supervisors and senior CFJ leadership, plus an extensive monthly online training programme led by human rights experts
- Access to a global network of human rights experts, lawyers, judges, activists, academics and next-generation leaders
- Enrolment in the CFJ Fellowship Alumni Programme network after the fellowship year, for continued support, knowledge sharing and collaboration
- Hands-on work on at least one major strategic litigation case undertaken with CFJ
Who can apply
- Open to early-career African women lawyers with less than five years of professional experience after admission
- A law degree from a recognised academic institution
- Admission to practise as a lawyer in the country of the selected host organisation, evidenced by a practising certificate
- The right to work in the host organisation's country: Kenya, Malawi, South Africa or The Gambia. Costs relating to international relocation and acquiring work authorisation cannot be supported
- Up to five years of experience in the legal field following graduation from law school or qualification as a lawyer in your jurisdiction
- Fluency in English is required, and proficiency in other working languages relevant to the host countries is preferred
- Experience in women's rights and in working within human rights organisations is preferred
- Availability to participate on a full-time basis from January 2027 to December 2027
- Alignment with CFJ's mission and with the relevant host organisation, strong legal analysis and fact-finding ability, and excellent research, writing and verbal communication skills
Who should not apply
- Applicants who are not admitted to practise law in the country of a host organisation cannot take up that placement
- Male applicants fall outside the stated eligibility for this fellowship, which is open to women lawyers
- International relocation costs and the cost of obtaining work authorisation are not covered
Documents to prepare
- Completed online application form on the CFJ Fellowship Application page
- A summary of your recent legal professional experience, highlighting any successes
- A statement of interest addressing why you want the fellowship, how it prepares you for the career you want, and a strategic litigation case or legal advocacy project you would like to support on the rights of women and children
- A list of any previous fellowships or similar training programmes undertaken in the last five years, if applicable
- CV or resume, in PDF format and no more than two pages, uploaded as pdf or docx up to 50 MB
- Two professional references, each with name, phone number with country code, email address and the capacity in which they worked with you. References are contacted only if you are shortlisted
- Your selection of the host organisation you are applying to, from the published 2027 list
How to apply
- Read the fellowship page at https://cfj.org/waging-justice-for-women/fellowships/ for the full eligibility criteria, host organisations and expectations.
- Confirm that you hold a law degree, a practising certificate for one of the host countries and the right to work there.
- Choose your host organisation from the 2027 list, which includes CHREAA (Malawi), the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, FLAG (The Gambia), IHRDA (The Gambia), Katiba Institute (Kenya), WLA (Malawi), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Malawi), the Legal Aid Bureau (Malawi) and UNIMA (Malawi).
- Prepare your CV in PDF, no more than two pages, your experience summary and your statement of interest.
- Collect the details of two professional references. CFJ contacts them only if you are shortlisted.
- Submit the application at https://cfj.org/waging-justice-for-women/fellowships/application/ before 20 October 2026 at 12 pm SAST. Note that progress is not saved if you leave the page before submitting, so prepare your answers elsewhere first.
- Wait for contact. Given the volume of applications, CFJ reaches out to shortlisted candidates only.
Selection process
- Applications are reviewed against the published eligibility criteria and the competencies CFJ sets out for the role.
- CFJ tries to accommodate stated preferences for host organisations. Where that is not possible, fellows may be matched based on citizenship, residency or work authorisation in a location, as well as admission to practise law there.
- Only shortlisted candidates are contacted, and references are approached at that stage.
- Successful fellows begin the placement in January 2027, and CFJ, the host organisation and the Fellow agree a workplan at the start of the year that includes at least one major strategic litigation case with CFJ.
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
How long is the fellowship?
It is a full-time, one-year placement from January 2027 to December 2027.
Is the fellowship in person, virtual or hybrid?
The fellowship is in-person and fellows are expected to be based at the offices of their host organisations. Hybrid working may be accommodated by a host organisation on a case-by-case basis. Because fellows sit across four countries, most mentorship, peer networking and training provided by CFJ happens online, though CFJ plans at least one in-person convening of the class during the year.
Will fellows be expected to travel?
That depends on the needs of individual host organisations. Fellows should expect occasional travel within the region for Fellowship Programme events, and may be asked to travel in support of their host organisation's legal work.
Who is eligible to apply?
An ideal candidate is an early-career African woman lawyer with less than five years of professional experience after admission, who is admitted to practise law in the country of one of the host organisations.
How are fellows matched to host organisations?
Fellows are embedded with one host organisation for the whole year and support that organisation's litigation and legal advocacy work on women's and children's rights. CFJ tries to honour stated preferences, and where it cannot, matching may follow citizenship, residency, work authorisation and admission to practise in that location.
Will fellows be paid?
Yes. Host organisations provide their fellows with the equivalent in local currency of a competitive gross annual salary. Additional travel or work expenses may be covered at the discretion of CFJ or the host organisation.
Is there an application fee?
No. There is no fee to apply for the CFJ Fellowship Programme.
What is the application timeline?
Applications for the 2027 class opened on 8 September 2026 and close on 20 October 2026. Those selected should expect to begin in January 2027.
Important disclaimer
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