A Legal Clinic and Information Center established by Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) is a digital means of ensuring access to justice for victims of basic human rights violations at times of emergency and disaster. Currently, it extends its services for the victims of Reproductive Health Rights (RHR) violations and Gender Based Violence (GBV). The service includes legal counseling, referral services to RHR information center, and necessary legal assistance. Utmost importance is given to the victim/survivor’s immediate needs and confidentiality throughout the legal counseling and assistance.
The concept of legal clinic and information center finds its root in FWLD’s initiation of a Legal Helpline Service at the advent of Covid-19 pandemic when the country wide lockdown had halted all movements which resulted into increased GBV and sexual violence. The legal service was provided through lawyers of FWLD throughout the country. The objective of the legal helpline service was to provide any necessary legal information, advice and consultation to the people who would not have access to these information otherwise during the period of lockdown enforced to curb the spread of the Covid-19. It was an effort to give back to society the way we can and to help people in need of that information.
Reproductive Health Right Legal Clinic
On 25th November 2021, during the 16 days activism against Gender-Based Violence, FWLD launched a Reproductive Health Rights Legal Clinic (RH Legal Clinic) to ensure the realization of the rights guaranteed by the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2018, Regulation 2020 and Interim Guideline 2021. Currently, it is operational in all 7 provinces and 77 districts covering the local levels. Through this, we provide free legal counselling, referral services and necessary legal assistance to individuals whose rights are violated or at the risk of violation against the rights guaranteed by SMRHR laws of Nepal.
Detail information is provided in the following poster.
Reproductive Health Rights Information and Counseling Center
FWLD has been supporting YoSHAN, a youth led organization, to establish and operate a Reproductive Health Rights Information and Counseling Center to provide all the necessary information related to SRHR and provide counseling services to youths and individuals seeking assistance or knowledge. Particularly, the center provides information regarding safe abortion and contraception among other SRHR issues. It also provides basic counseling related to SRHR. More importantly, the Center provides referral service, depending on the service seeker’s need, to legal assistance, psychological counseling and medical services.The Center was established from January, 2022 and is determined to assist in effective implementation of SRHR ensured by RH laws and achieving Constitutional spirit of guaranteeing safe motherhood and reproductive health rights as a fundamental rights.
Legal Assistance to the People without Civil Documentations
FWLD provides legal assistance which includes legal counseling, drafting of the case, filing of the case, pleading of the case and drafting of any legal application until the final verdict of the court to the people without Civil Documentations particularly citizenship certificate and birth registration from all over the country including Kathmandu valley.
Legal Assistance in Province 1
FWLD provides legal assistance for the cases relating Gender Based Violence. It also provides legal assistance for the cases relating to ‘Civil Documentation’ and in the legal issues relating to Refugees in Province 1.
Legal Helpline Service for GBV
Legal Helpline Service is a pro bono service from lawyers of Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) to provide any necessary legal information, advice and consultation to the people who would not have access to legal information otherwise during this period of lockdown enforced to curb the spread of the corona virus infection.
The service started from April 3, 2020 and will continue till and in times when the prohibitory order in place. We also provide our legal helpline service through Google forms in both Nepali and English languages in order to expand our legal helpline services. Altogether, we have published three factsheets summarizing the cases received through telephone and also through Google forms along with our interventions.
Legal Helpline Service for Child Protection
