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| The Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA Uganda) |
As you might have already guessed, the work culture in Uganda is very different from the U.S. Work almost never begins or end on time. The pace of work is also much slower, and meetings and court dates are frequently postponed. In addition, Ugandans have no concept of following a calendar or a “to do list”. They may have a set plan for the day, but they do not follow up with those plans as meticulously as we do in the U.S.
There are many NGOs in Uganda. In fact, there’s about 20 (no exaggeration) within walking distance of my house. I work with the Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Uganda), a well renowned women’s rights organization in East Africa that advocates for women and children. The organization is affiliated with the International Federation of Women Lawyers. Women and some men come to FIDA seeking assistance for a number of reasons: child support, domestic violence, property dispute, witchcraft (believe or not), and more. FIDA assists women regardless of their socioeconomic status. I work specifically with the legal clinic interviewing clients and conducting mediations. Client counseling and mediation are conducted very similar States, to those in the United however the style and approach is much different. The lawyers first establish the language that will be used to conduct the session. Secondly, the lawyers allow the clients to have more autonomy over outcome. I like the client-centered as opposed to a paternalistic approach because it helps to empower women. For example, a woman might feel empowered when a FIDA lawyer explains to a man the consequences of not providing child support. A man might feel empowered when a lawyer explains to a woman the consequences of denying a father’s visitation rights.
I’ve also had the opportunity to represent the organization at workshops. During my second week at FIDA, I attended a conference on “The Electoral Process in Uganda.” The conference went extremely well. We spent the day analyzing the challenges with the electoral process, and I voiced my concerns about the lack of female representation in the electoral process. I also had a chance to meet with deans of universities, members of parliament, attorneys and CEOs of local NGOs.
As a legal intern, I have my own caseload. Presently I have about 20 cases and counting. Surprisingly, clients refer to me as a lawyer rather than a legal intern. I’m not exactly sure about the reason for that reference but I don’t mind. Besides, there is no liability as my work is constantly supervised. In Uganda, I avoid telling people, particularly men, about my place of work because they become extremely intimidated. In fact, some men believe that I judge them or that I have an overtly negative perception of men. This is certainly not the case.
The FIDA Headquarters, Kampala, Uganda
My Coworkers at an Office Party
FIDAs Work Showcased in the Newspapers
I love working with FIDA, but the cases can be extremely overwhelming. Because I have client counseling experience, I can counsel client without becoming emotionally invested, or so I thought. During the first three weeks of January, I conducted some extremely challenging interviews. It was almost as if each story went from bad to worst. On one particular day, I spent six hours counseling a client because her husband forced her and her young baby out of the house leaving her homeless. I spent that day pleading firmly with the husband to allow her to remain in the matrimonial home but he refused. Yet, when I emphasized the interest of the child, his attitude changed. In fact, he decided to provide some money to assist her, but he did not promise to assist her with accommodation. I consulted all the possible resources: Center for Domestic Violence Prevention, Human Right attorneys, and victim shelters, but unfortunately, they were not able to assist. I also noticed that the client’s baby was so hungry so I gave the mother some food for her baby. In the end, the situation was only partially resolved. And although I knew that I did my best to assist my client, I still felt defeated and was almost in tears after the client left the office.
During that same week, I assisted with a mediation that left me feeling pretty shaken up. The client needed assistance because she claimed that her former husband had not provided child support. When the father explained his part the story, we realized that he was providing support and that the mother was not caring for the child. When the father explained some of the awful things that the mother had done, the women became so upset that she attacked the man in our office. I was so frightened! I immediately ran for help! Thanks to help of our drivers, we were able to separate the both parties to prevent them from sustaining serious injuries.
Although the work has been challenging, I enjoy every minute of it. I realize that I’m doing work that makes a difference in a woman or child’s life. One of my favorite parts about the job is encouraging women to be courageous. Even though women are reluctant to report abuse, or child neglect, a few words of encouragement makes a tremendous difference! As I continue working with FIDA, I realize that being a human rights lawyer is not easy, however, I want am very passionate about human rights advocacy.
