After lunching at the Woman’s Access to Justice (WAJ) Project, which is being supported by the  European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and implemented by Helvetas, Bridges Across Borders South East Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) and the Association of Development of Women and Legal Education (ADWLE) the BABSEACLE team, in Laos, started drafting the Baseline Study/Survey for the WAJ project, by working closely with BABSEACLE Board Director, Dr. Christopher S. Walsh (Dr. Chris). Dr. Chris is an expert in design, data collection and analysis. The WAJ project’s key stakeholders deal with gender base violence (GBV) cases, and they are: Lao’s Woman Union; Faculty of Law and Political Science, National University of Laos, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Champasak University of Laos; ADWLE Legal Aid office; Faculty of Law and Political Science Clinical Legal Education, National University of Laos In-House Consultation Clinic; Laotian lawyers, judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officials; and Laotian village leaders, paralegals and villagers. The reason for creating the Baseline Study/Survey is to measure the social, economic and cultural rights of women, with regard to GBV, in target areas, and to strengthen the awareness, knowledge and capacities of women, civil society organizations and key stakeholders.

Pavina, a BABSEACLE legal trainer, attended the summer school, in Chiangmai, Thailand, 9 –18 June, 2016, in order to increase her knowledge, especially in Evaluation and Monitoring (M&E). During the M&E Session, she was a participant, a facilitator and a presenter, who presented the WAJ Baseline Study, with Dr. Chris.

By Pavina Thephithuck , Legal Trainer