September 28, 2017
Legal Clinics Provide Crucial Guidance in Côte d'Ivoire

The post-election crisis of 2010 in Côte d’Ivoire led to the collapse of the judicial and prison system. An SDG Fund joint programme is underway to improve equitable access to justice services and restore people’s confidence in justice. Through the services of the Association de Femmes Juristes de Côte D'Ivoire, some 12,997 people have benefited from free consultations on their legal rights in various areas, such as property ownership, rural land tenure, employment law, inheritance law, civil registrations and child support.

The programme is especially lending support to women, based on enhanced access to legal information and individualized counseling, through a legal clinic and its community network. Counseling and legal assistance provided in the clinic includes: free individual legal consultations, detention visits, and support to obtain auxiliary judgments. The organization also conducts radio programs and other awareness campaigns.

“As a businesswoman, I was busy traveling all around the region until I found out that my 14 year old daughter was pregnant and she refused to tell me who the father was,” says a client of the clinic. “Following my friends’ advice, we went to the legal clinic, which helped us find the right support to get my daughter back in school.”

Another woman, Djiblo Beatrice was married for 22 years, when her husband sought a divorce and claimed ownership of their house. “The legal clinic reassured me by advising me on my personal issues and my rights as a landowner and also assigned me a lawyer. With their help and support, we were able to divide our joint assets.”

Since January 2015, 12,997 people have had access, through the programme, to free legal advice in order to protect their rights or regularize their economic situations.  

This SDG Fund joint programme in supported thanks to the financial contribution of the government of Spain.

The San Pedro region, where the programme takes place, is affected by a very low rate of civil registrations. This lack of legal documents exacerbates exclusion. Individuals have limited or no access to basic social services, social protection systems, or financial services and are also unable to start businesses. In a region where 58% of women and 43% of men are illiterate, they are at a disadvantage due to lack of information concerning their rights and legal recourse in case of disputes.