Southern Africa Litigation Centre

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS: IS THE LAW DOING ENOUGH?
2024-12-09 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Gauteng
In conversation with Honourable Justice Fiona Mwale of the High Court of Malawi & Honourable Justice Monica Mbaru of the High Court of Kenya Gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of the most widespread human rights violations globally. According to a report from the United Nations (UN) in 2023, a woman is killed by a partner or family member every 10 minutes. International and regional frameworks have been put in place to combat GBV, with the expectation of adoption and implementation at national level through law and policy. However, despite the existence of progressive laws and policies at national level within the region, violence continues to persist. This situation highlights significant gaps in addressing the root causes of GBV, implementation challenges, and enforcement difficulties. Join us for a webinar in conversation with Honourable Justice Fiona Mwale of the High Court of Malawi and Honourable Justice Monica Mbaru of the High Court of Kenya in unpacking the important role of the courts in using the law to address GBV. This webinar seeks to examine international and regional legal frameworks and the efficacy of their implementation at the national level within Eastern and Southern Africa and explore opportunities for practical legal and implementation reforms to strengthen protection against GBV.

Legal environment update: Namibia
2025-02-05 10:00 - 14:00 | Gauteng
Join Namibian LGBTIQ civil society to understand and interrogate recent legislative developments and their impact on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law

Webinar: Navigating the freeze
2025-03-18 10:00 - 11:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
The space will be with grassroot organisations, activist across the region to discuss and have open conversations around how the funding freeze or termination has impacted them, the communities and work, to have open conversations on what has been done and what we can collaboratively do, and vent and be there for each other.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/navigatefreeze or scan the QR code.

Addressing Misinformation and Hate Speech in Southern Africa: Strategies for Democracy
2025-03-20 15:00 - 16:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
In Southern Africa, misinformation (unintentional false information) and disinformation (deliberately misleading information) significantly threaten civic rights and democratic governance. Amplified by social media platforms like Meta, Twitter (now X), and many others, these issues manipulate public opinion, influence elections, and fuel conflicts. This webinar aims to address these urgent issues through dialogue and actionable solutions.

Combating Misinformation in Southern Africa: Strategies for Community Empowerment
2025-04-03 02:30 - 16:00 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
The rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation in Southern Africa poses significant threats to democratic processes, social cohesion, and the fundamental right to freedom of expression. Building upon the insights from our previous webinar, “Addressing Misinformation and Hate Speech in Southern Africa: Strategies for Democracy”, this upcoming webinar aims to delve deeper into community-based strategies to combat false information while safeguarding democratic freedoms.

Addressing gender-based violence and land rights
2025-04-11 10:00 - 11:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
Join us for a compelling and thought-provoking Webinar designed to raise awareness and deepen understanding of the unique challenges that women with disabilities face regarding gender-based violence (GBV) and land rights. It will feature engaging presentations on interventions implemented in Africa, particularly Malawi, to address GBV affecting women and girls. During the webinar, we will explore actionable strategies to empower and support women and girls who are victims of GBV. These strategies will equip participants with the tools and knowledge to help victims secure their rights and protect them.

A Collaborative Approach to Sustainable Forest Management
2025-04-15 10:00 | Gauteng
rForests are vital ecosystems that provide numerous benefits, including biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, and livelihood support. They cover approximately 30% of the Earth’s land area, support over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and provide livelihoods for millions worldwide. However, managing and protecting forests comes with numerous challenges, including deforestation and land degradation, over-exploitation of forest resources, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change.
Join Kasanka Trust Limited, hosted by Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), for a webinar on collaborative strategies for sustainable forest management! Using Kasanka National Park in Zambia as a case study, the session will unpack how community-led strategies can be combined with government and civil society efforts to protect forests. It will feature insights from the District Forest Officer and Forest Communities’ representative on forest management best practices, the challenges encountered and opportunities for improvement.

Securing Land, Securing Futures: The Struggle for Women’s Customary Land Rights in Eswatini webinar!
2025-04-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
Rural women in Eswatini face significant challenges in accessing and controlling land under customary tenure systems. Discriminatory practices, lengthy bureaucratic processes, and patriarchal norms often prevent women, especially single women, widows, and female-headed households, from owning land, which perpetuates poverty and gender-based violence (GBV).

Join the Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly (SRWA), hosted by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), for an insightful webinar that highlights the struggles of single women and widows in securing customary land rights. The session will examine systemic barriers in land reporting structures and their impact on women and children. It will also discuss the connection between land insecurity and the economic disempowerment of rural women, explore how challenges in accessing land contribute to GBV in rural communities, and advocate for policy and legal reforms to protect women’s land rights.

Strengthening Land Governance in Zambia: Stakeholder Submissions on the Lands Act Amendment
2025-05-07 10:00 - 14:00 | Gauteng
Over the years, successive Zambian governments have attempted to implement various land governance reforms to improve access, ownership, and control, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, persons with disabilities, and rural communities. Despite these efforts, several challenges continue to persist. In its advocacy work, the Zambia Land Alliance (ZLA) has been mobilising key stakeholders, including community members, traditional leaders, and civil society organizations (CSOs), to formulate submissions on the ongoing review of the Lands Act. This review process presents an opportunity for a broader community to contribute to shaping a comprehensive and inclusive land governance system.
ZLA, hosted by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), invites you to a webinar where it will present its submission on the Lands Act. The session will be an interactive platform for sharing insights, collecting feedback, and refining recommendations before submitting them to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR). Join us in contributing to developing a robust land governance system that secures tenure and expands access for Zambia’s most vulnerable populations.

Revisiting the LHWP Treaty 1986: Towards a Just and Equitable Agreement for Lesotho and Affected Communities
2025-05-08 10:00 - 12:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Treaty of 1986, signed between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa, has been pivotal in facilitating water transfer while supporting hydroelectric power generation in Lesotho. However, nearly four decades later, it has become increasingly evident that the Treaty fails to protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable communities, particularly women, who disproportionately bear the impacts of climate change and gender-based violence. As displacement, water insecurity, and economic instability persist due to treaty shortcomings, women, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, face heightened social and economic discrimination.
Recognising these systemic injustices, the Government of Lesotho has allocated a budget to review the Treaty, providing a crucial opportunity to introduce gender-responsive policies that address intersectional discrimination. The review process must prioritise climate resilience, fair resource distribution, and the protection of women against GBV, ensuring that treaty reforms promote economic empowerment, equitable land rights, and safeguards against environmental displacement.
Join Seinoli Legal Centre (SLC) for a webinar, hosted by Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) that will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss and advocate for necessary amendments to the LHWP Treaty, ensuring the Treaty aligns with community needs and promotes sustainable and inclusive growth.

Women's Access and Control of Land in Malawi
2025-05-13 12:00 - 14:00 | Gauteng
Women play a crucial role in agriculture and food security, yet they often face significant barriers in accessing and controlling land. This limitation not only affects their livelihoods but also perpetuates gender inequality. Enhancing women’s access and control of land is essential for promoting gender equality, reducing poverty, and improving food security.
Join Youth-Watch Society (YOWSO) for a thought-provoking webinar hosted by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) under the “Leveraging Intersectionality to Empower Rural Women in Southern Africa” project. This session will explore YOWSO’s ongoing project in Mzimba, Dwangwa, and Mzuzu, which addresses the gender disparities in land ownership and highlights the legal and structural challenges affecting rural women. The discussion will also unpack issues surrounding Malawi’s outdated land policy, the limited establishment of land tribunals as per the Land Act 2016 and the implications for women’s rights and justice.

Legal advocacy strategies to address hate speech in Malawi
2025-05-26 10:00 - 11:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
As court victories for the rights of marginalised people grow in Southern Africa, so too do hate crimes and hate speech, especially in countries without specific legal protections. CSOs are now sounding the alarm, linking the spike to toxic political rhetoric, global anti-gender agendas, and unregulated social media.
Art and Global Health Centre and the Southern African Litigation Centre will host a webinar to raise awareness among CSOs and activists on hate speech and crimes, local laws and policies, and develop context-specific advocacy strategies for dealing with hate speech and crimes.
Join us on 26 May 2025
Time: 10:00 am –11:30 am CAT.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/eswatiniHSweb

Legal advocacy strategies to address hate speech in Eswatini
2025-05-26 14:30 - 16:00 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
As court victories for the rights of marginalised people grow in Southern Africa, so too do hate crimes and hate speech, especially in countries without specific legal protections. CSOs are now sounding the alarm, linking the spike to toxic political rhetoric, global anti-gender agendas, and unregulated social media.
Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities and the Southern African Litigation Centre will host a webinar to raise awareness among CSOs and activists on hate speech and crimes, local laws and policies, and develop context-specific advocacy strategies for dealing with hate speech and crimes.
Join us on 26 May 2025
Time: 2:30–4:00 pm CAT.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/eswatiniHSweb

Legal advocacy strategies to address hate speech in Namibia
2025-05-27 14:00 - 15:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
As court victories for the rights of marginalised people grow in Southern Africa, so too do hate crimes and hate speech, especially in countries without specific legal protections. CSOs are now sounding the alarm, linking the spike to toxic political rhetoric, global anti-gender agendas, and unregulated social media.
The Young Feminists Movement Namibia and the Southern African Litigation Centre will host a webinar to raise awareness among CSOs and activists on hate speech and crimes, local laws and policies, and develop context-specific advocacy strategies for dealing with hate speech and crimes.
Join us on 27 May 2025
Time: 2:30–4:00 pm CAT.

Register here: ttps://tinyurl.com/NamHSweb

Legal advocacy strategies to address hate speech in Botswana
2025-07-08 11:00 - 12:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
As court victories for the rights of marginalised people grow in Southern Africa, so too do hate crimes and hate speech, especially in countries without specific legal protections. CSOs are now sounding the alarm, linking the spike to toxic political rhetoric, global anti-gender agendas, and unregulated social media.
Black Queer DocX and the Southern African Litigation Centre will host a webinar to raise awareness among CSOs and activists on hate speech and crimes, local laws and policies, and develop context-specific advocacy strategies for dealing with hate speech and crimes.
Join us on 8 July 2025
Time: 11:0–12:30 pm CAT.

Register here: https://bit.ly/AddressingHateSpeechBW

Estratégias jurídicas para combater o discurso de ódio em Angola
2025-07-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
À medida que aumentam as vitórias judiciais pelos direitos das pessoas marginalizadas na África Austral, também aumentam os crimes de ódio e o discurso de ódio, especialmente em países sem proteções jurídicas específicas. As OSCs estão agora a dar o alarme, associando este aumento à retórica política tóxica, às agendas globais anti-género e às redes sociais não regulamentadas.
O Arquivo de Identidade Angolano e o Southern African Litigation Centre irão organizar um webinar para sensibilizar as OSC e os ativistas sobre o discurso e os crimes de ódio, as leis e políticas locais e desenvolver estratégias de defesa específicas para lidar com o discurso e os crimes de ódio.
Junte-se a nós no dia 11 de julho de 2025
Horário: 10h00 – 11h30 (hora de Angola) / 09h00 – 10h30 (SAST)
Inscreva-se aqui: https://bit.ly/AngolaHS

Estratégias para combater o discurso de ódio em Moçambique
2025-08-05 14:00 - 15:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
À medida que aumentam as vitórias jurídicas pelos direitos das pessoas marginalizadas na África Austral, também aumentam os crimes de ódio e o discurso de ódio, especialmente em países sem proteções jurídicas específicas. As OSCs estão agora a dar o alarme, associando este aumento à retórica política tóxica, às agendas globais anti-género e às redes sociais não regulamentadas.
A LAMBDA e o Southern African Litigation Centre irão organizar um webinar para sensibilizar as OSC e os ativistas sobre o discurso de ódio e os crimes de ódio, as leis e políticas locais, e para desenvolver estratégias de defesa específicas para combater o discurso de ódio e os crimes de ódio.
Junte-se a nós no dia 5 de agosto de 2025
Hora: 14:00 –15:30 (SAST)
Inscreva-se aqui: https://tinyurl.com/MozHS
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As legal victories for the rights of marginalised people in Southern Africa increase, so too do hate crimes and hate speech, especially in countries without specific legal protections. CSOs are now sounding the alarm, linking this increase to toxic political rhetoric, global anti-gender agendas and unregulated social media.
LAMBDA and the Southern African Litigation Centre will host a webinar to raise awareness among CSOs and activists about hate speech and hate crimes, local laws and policies, and to develop specific advocacy strategies to address hate speech and hate crimes.
Join us on 5 August 2025
Time: 14:00 –15:30 (SAST)
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/MozHS

The evolving journey for SRHR: Legal environment affecting key populations in Uganda
2025-09-09 13:00 - 14:30 | Gauteng
SALC has published a Policy Brief, ‘An overview of the legal environment affecting key African populations. The policy brief reflects on the changes in the legal environment affecting key populations, particularly vulnerable and marginalised women, young people, LGBTQI+ and sex workers in Africa, over the past 20 years. The Policy Brief highlights some of the gains made through legislative changes and progressive court judgments that uphold the sexual and reproductive health rights of key populations. However, as highlighted in the Policy brief, serious barriers still exist that hurt the enjoyment of SRHR, including the use of the law to criminalise status and identity, and legal restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health services.
As part of initiatives to address the human rights challenges of key populations, and improve the enjoyment of SRHR, SALC is hosting human rights training webinars for Human Rights defenders, activists and individuals to enhance knowledge of their rights.

The evolving journey for SRHR: Legal environment affecting key populations in Malawi
2025-09-12 11:00 - 12:30 | Gauteng
The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) has published a Policy Brief, ‘An overview of the legal environment affecting key African populations. The policy brief reflects on the changes in the legal environment affecting key populations, particularly vulnerable and marginalised women, young people, LGBTQI+ and sex workers in Africa, over the past 20 years. The Policy Brief highlights some of the gains made through legislative changes and progressive court judgments that uphold the sexual and reproductive health rights of key populations. However, as highlighted in the Policy brief, serious barriers still exist that hurt the enjoyment of SRHR, including the use of the law to criminalise status and identity, and legal restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health services. As part of initiatives to address the human rights challenges of key populations, and improve the enjoyment of SRHR, SALC is hosting human rights training webinars for Human Rights defenders, activists and individuals to enhance knowledge of their rights.

Strategies & actions to combat hate speech from across the region
2025-12-09 11:00 - 12:30 | Webinar, President Place 1 Hood Avenue/ 148 Jan Smuts Avenue Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2196, South Africa
Join Just Detention International, LEGABIBO, MISA Regional and SALC for a regional webinar bringing together human rights defenders, activists, communities, CSOs, leaders, the media and accountability bodies to explore practical strategies to combat hate speech.

Date: 9 Dec 2025 | 11:00 SAST
Register: https://tinyurl.com/3umwcyeu
