Clooney Foundation: Advancing Gender Justice

In this episode of Justice Beyond the Bench, the podcast by the International Association of Women Judges, the spotlight turns to the work of the Clooney Foundation for Justice and its growing impact on gender justice across Africa. Featuring Lorraine Smith van Lin, Head of Fellowships, the conversation explores how the Foundation’s Waging Justice for Women program is strengthening legal systems by investing in early-career African women lawyers. Through placements in leading human rights organizations, combined with mentorship, training, and practical legal experience, the initiative is building a pipeline of advocates equipped to challenge discriminatory laws and expand access to justice for women and girls.

Drawing on a holistic, three-pronged approach—strategic litigation, legal advocacy, and capacity-building—the Foundation is working alongside locally led organizations to address some of the most entrenched barriers facing women, including gender-based violence and systemic inequality. At the heart of this model is a commitment to local ownership and survivor-centered justice, ensuring that those closest to the issues lead the response. As Lorraine Smith van Lin underscores, meaningful change requires more than legal reform alone; it depends on empowering a new generation of lawyers and amplifying grassroots voices to drive lasting, structural transformation.