Building from the lawyers’ training held in May 2015, this workshop aims to enhance the capacity of lawyers on sexual and reproductive health matters. The emphasis will be on the medical, legal, and ethical aspects of reproductive health rights, with an ultimate aim of ensuring meaningful litigation and defense in cases involving reproductive health violations.
Specifically, the training seeks to achieve the following key objectives:
- Guide participants on the correct interpretation of the legal and policy frameworks on sexual and reproductive health rights in Kenya;
- Equip participants with sufficient and practical case studies, precedents, and experience-sharing that will ensure thorough and effective litigation of cases; and
- Create a forum for open dialogue amongst the participants on the medical, legal, and ethical issues surrounding sexual and reproductive health rights.
The lawyers were chosen as a key group for this workshop on the basis of the role they play as litigants on issues of sexual and reproductive health, and particularly on cases of rape, defilement, incest, and unsafe abortion. The participants were chosen from Kisumu, Mombasa Nairobi, and Nakuru Counties.
The partners anticipate that, as a result of this workshop, the participants will have increased knowledge, skills, and competence in matters of sexual and reproductive health. The workshop further aims to strengthen the ability of practicing lawyers to institute and litigate public interest cases, pertaining to sexual and reproductive health issues. Finally, it is expected that this training will give rise, through these lawyers’ provision of legal protection, to an enhanced and conducive environment for medical providers and for women seeking provision and access to sexual and reproductive health rights.
