During the celebration of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8, six universities in the country were awarded P12.1 million by the European Union’s (EU’s) Governance in Justice Programme (GOJUST) that will be used to give women and girls access to justice at the center of their Clinical Legal Education Programmes.
The universities are West Visayas State University; Adamson University; University of San Carlos; University of the Visayas; Father Saturnino Urios University; and St. Louis University.
In a virtual grant signing ceremony, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron said gender equality is one of the EU’s core values, adding that ensuring women and girls have equal access to justice is “fundamental to building a fair, inclusive, prosperous and peaceful society.”
“The European Union has been a committed partner to the Philippine’s Justice Sector reform since 2006. Our engagement stems from the importance we attach to democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” said Véron.
The ambassador said he is looking forward to the transformative work of the six universities given the grant.
“Women and girls are key agents of development and change. Their interventions will change lives for the better.”
Per EU, the aforementioned universities will implement the Clinical Legal Education Program or CLEP of the Supreme Court as a pathway to promote access to justice for women and other vulnerable groups.
“West Visayas State University will set up a legal help desk for women, children and marginalized groups in need of legal support and assistance. The University will leverage its Gender and Development (GAD) Office and collaborate with the Women and Children Protection Unit (WCPU) of the West Visayas Medical Center Hospital to develop the help desk,” EU added.
University of the Visayas said it will also set up a legal help desk in the female dormitory of the Cebu City jail to provide free legal aid services to women deprived of liberty.
Meanhile, Adamson University will form a corps of paralegal volunteers, and focus on the legal empowerment and education of disadvantaged communities through workshops on the justice system, human rights, and women’s/ children’s rights.
“Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) will work with indigenous communities on rights awareness including women’s rights.”
The GOJUST, a programme of the EU to support the Philippine government’s efforts to improve access to justice for all, includes a grant mechanism of EUR 3.1 million or P170 million over a period of four years to support civil society organizations and universities/law schools to improve access to justice for disadvantaged groups in particular women and girls.