Deadline: 12 October 2022
The Human Dignity Trust (the Trust) is a legal charity based in London, UK that supports local lawyers and human rights defenders to uphold human rights and constitutional law in countries where private, consensual same-sex sexual conduct is criminalised.
At present, 69 jurisdictions worldwide maintain these criminal laws. Legal provisions that criminalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people put them beyond the protection of the law, fostering a climate of fear, stigma and violence. These provisions also violate constitutional and international human rights law, including a person’s right to dignity, equality, non-discrimination, privacy and freedom of expression.
The Trust is currently engaged in both legislative reform and litigation work in the Southern African region. Our focus is on exploring and advancing opportunities for legal change to decriminalise LGBT people and to effect wider change to sexual offences laws and certain forms of protective legislation such as hate crime and equal opportunity laws. In the coming year the Trust will deliver two in-person civil society convenings in the region, one with a focus on protective hate crimes legislation and the other on the decriminalisation of same-sex sexual activity between women. At the same time, we are anticipating significant developments in our existing legislative reform work in the region that will benefit from a proactive locally-informed response.
Location: Southern Africa
Languages Required: English
Starting Date: 17 November 2022
End Date/Duration of Assignment: February 2023 Fees: circa £8,000
Services
- Contribute to the design and delivery of programmatic activities and, in particular, to the planning and delivery of the Trust’s planned convenings in the Southern African region in the first half of 2023
- Conduct background socio-political research in target countries
- Assist the Trust to build and solidify new and existing civil society relationships in target countries
- Assist the Trust to build and solidify new and existing relationships with relevant legal experts in target countries
- Input to the delivery of the Trust’s regional legislative reform strategies in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders
- Oversee the delivery of programmatic activities, in close collaboration with other HDT team members
Experience Required
- Degree or equivalent professional experience in law and/or human rights
- Expertise in strategic human rights litigation and/or legislative reform with a focus on human rights
- Experience working in or on several jurisdictions within the region
- Strong written and oral communication skills in English, with a keen attention to detail
- Ability to understand and adapt to differing and often sensitive social and cultural contexts, whilst employing compassion, tact and discretion
- Ability to work well and collaboratively as part of a small, tight team, and with minimal supervision
- High level of computer literacy and familiarity with all Microsoft Office packages
- Excellent organisational skills, including ability to prioritise tasks and manage deadlines
- Ability and willingness to undertake regional and international travel, sometimes at short notice
- Knowledge of and commitment to the human rights of LGBT people
- Experience of project management
- An understanding of the LGBT human rights movement or intersectional human rights movements within the region and globally
Payment
Payments shall be effected upon receipt of invoices and according to the following payment intervals:
- Payment Interval: Monthly
- Amount: 33.3% of fees.
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