About AFELL

Background

The Association of Female Lawyers (AFELL) was established on February 10, 1994 during the civil crisis as a non-profit, non-governmental and non-political organization duly incorporated under Liberian laws.

In Liberia, women, children, and marginalized groups face gender-based violence, harassment (GBVH) and sexual exploitation. Often, GBV cases are consciously compromised and lack access to justice. AFELL, a membership-based, nonpolitical, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization of women lawyers, provides pro bono legal services for the benefit of marginalized women and disadvantaged children. AFELL has championed the advancement of access to justice to promote human rights issues, specifically targeting women and children as it relates to the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence, women participation in politics/leadership, gender insensitive laws reform, and child protection amongst others.

Women experience constant marginalization due to traditional, cultural, and societal prejudices and biases against them. They are vulnerable to harmful practices including female genital mutilation (FGM), sexual exploitation, and early marriages. Often, rape cases are consciously compromised by law enforcers, local authorities, and family members; they

victims, which is an affront of the rape law. Victims are ignorant in most instances and are left with long-life traumatic physical and psychological scars while perpetrators roam freely. To support the justice system, AFELL’s Legal Aid Clinic engages in mediation as first option of giving relief to the parties and at the same time reducing the case load on the dockets of the courts. AFELL also engages in legal representation when the defendants refuse to appear for mediation or when the parties fail to reach an understanding during mediation.

AFELL in her advocacy, has directed her efforts towards strengthening the Rule of Law, ensuring access to justice, engendering human rights policies and stimulating fights on social issues, specifically within the context of fostering the rights of women, children and indigent persons.

AFELL’s Intervention

AFELL advocacy is not limited to sexual and gender base violence. Our advocacy extends to ensuring peace, security and economic growth with concentration on adherence to the Rule of Law. 

• Domestic Violence
• Inheritance Rights
• Land Rights
• Divorce/ Abandonment
• Child Abuse
• Child Neglect
• Harmful Practices
• Discrimination
• Political Prejudices
• Human rights violations against indigents
• Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
• Human Trafficking
• Gender Sensitive Laws Reform
• Advancement of women in political participation

Membership

The membership of AFELL comprises proliferation of Female Lawyers with diverse educational backgrounds, experience, and specialized areas of expertise.  See our Members