Colloquim 2000 On Women's Law - 24-28 July 2000 - Zimbabwe - Brief Article

WIN News, Spring, 2000

BY WLSA (WOMEN AND LAW IN SOUTHERN AFRICA RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL TRUST) AND WOMEN'S LAW PROGRAMME (UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE)

CONTACT PROFESSOR JULIE STEWART, WOMEN'S LAW CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE, FACULTY OF LAW, P.O. Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZIMBABWE; Fax: 263-4-304008 e-mail: jstewart@pvtlaw.uz

Ms. Sara Mvududu, The Regional Coordinator, Women and Law in Southern Africa Research Trust (WLSA), 16 Lawson Ave., Milton Park, Harare, P.O. Box UA 171, Union Ave. Harare, Zimbabwe; Fax: 263-4-252884; e-mail: wlsa@samara.co.zw

THEME: 'WLSA AND WOMEN'S LAW PROGRAMME CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOUTHERN AFRICA SCHOLARSHIP ON WOMEN, SOCIO-LEGAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY'.

"Women and the Law is central to women's studies and is at the cutting edge of scholarship across a wide range of disciplines. The colloquium will be interdisciplinary and will reflect the multidisciplinary approach that WLSA and Women's Law Programme have applied in their work.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the colloquium is to provide a forum for exploraation, discussion and interchange of ideas, methodologies and emerging issues on women's law and women's law related issues within a global framework. It is especially designed to show casework in the Eastern and Southern African region on women's law and to provide for vigorous academic and action oriented exchanaes[ldots]

WLSA (Women and Law in Southern Africa Research Trust) is an action oriented research organization in seven countries of Southern Africa namely: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Our MISSION is to contribute to the socio-economic political and legal advancement of women. This is achieved through (a) collaborative strategic and action research in the socio-legal field and (b) lobbying for legal reforms and policy changes on laws and practices which discriminate and disadvantage women. The development objective of WLSA is to improve the legal status of women in Southern Africa.

WLSA undertakes the following programmes: Information Generation II Legal Advice and Services // Lobbying and Advocacy // Networking // Legal Literacy // Activist Research: is the core programme and Planning[ldots]

Women's Law Centre, University of Zimbabwe is a research and teaching unit which focuses on the socio-legal needs of women in the Southern and Eastern African regions. While it has a 'southern' focus it has strong teaching and research links with a number of institutions in the 'north' such as the Institute of Women's Law at the University of Oslo. The main thrust of the Centre is on developing new approaches to women's legal issues as well as developing appropriate methodologies to research the needs of women in plural societies. The Centre mounts, on an annual basis, a Postgraduate Diploma in Women's Law that draws students from all around sub-Saharan Africa[ldots]"