Clooney Foundation for Justice

The Clooney Foundation for Justice gathers evidence of mass human rights abuses, provides free legal support to victims, and works to ensure that perpetrators are held to account. Visit cfj.org and learn how our three program initiatives are waging #justice in more than 40 countries around the globe. 

NEW: A report from #TrialWatch and American Bar Association Center for Human Rights reveals the Kenyan law against female genital mutilation has been used overwhelmingly to target survivors who underwent FGM, rather than the perpetrators. Kenya’s anti-FGM law can and should be vital in combating #FGM – but it has been turned against the very people it seeks to protect. It's time to make it clear as recommended by the African Commission: no survivor of FGM should ever be prosecuted. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/dqQrHifv Over 55% of defendants in the FGM cases monitored for the report were survivors — including minors. Only 6% of defendants were ‘cutters.’ Survivors face invasive exams and years-long trials that have resulted in convictions for their own FGM.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a human rights violation that leaves millions of girls and women with lifelong physical and psychological harm. But what happens when the very laws designed to protect survivors end up punishing them instead? Tomorrow, CFJ launches a new report from #TrialWatch and American Bar Association Center for Human Rights that exposes this troubling reality in Kenya.

The stories we’ve shared over these 16 days remind us that gender-based violence is not just an individual issue—it is a systemic crisis that demands urgent reform. On International Human Rights Day, we must ensure a commitment to a future where every gender-based violence survivor is met with empathy, accountability, and support. Keep an eye on this space for more powerful stories from survivors in South Africa’s Western Cape. #InternationalHumanRightsDay #16days #NoExcuse

When authorities fail to support survivors of gender-based violence, it can have lethal consequences. This failure sends a chilling message: their safety and lives are not a priority. A justice system that disregards survivors perpetuates violence and deepens trauma.  Survivors from South Africa’s Western Cape shared their stories with CFJ’s Waging Justice for Women team in an upcoming feature, shedding light on the barriers to justice they’ve faced. #16days #NoExcuse

Gender-based violence survivors deserve to be treated with dignity and respect when they approach the authorities for help. When they are denied such treatment, authorities can re-traumatize them once again and they and others are less likely to seek help from the authorities. This survivor’s experience at a police station in Khayelitsha, in South Africa’s Western Cape is just one example of the poor treatment they can face by officials. Survivors speak out on gender-based violence in South Africa’s Western Cape, in a new feature by Waging Justice for Women coming soon. #16days #NoExcuse

FRIDAY: How can domestic and international criminal investigations complement each other’s efforts to seek accountability for atrocities? Join the Clooney Foundation for Justice and Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) at the 23rd Assembly of States Parties to the ICC for an in-depth discussion sponsored by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.    CFJ’s Yasmine Chubin will moderate an expert panel of national and international prosecutors and victims' lawyers on this collaboration between authorities and civil society in a discussion on complementarity between the International Criminal Court and the application of universal jurisdiction in domestic courts.   #ASP23 #UniversalJurisdiction #ICC

Across Africa, barriers to justice keep too many survivors of gender-based violence from being heard. The Waging Justice for Women Fellowship is working to change that by training early-career women lawyers to become the next generation of gender-justice champions in Africa. Pictured here, our inaugural Fellows—who completed their Fellowship in 2024—are committed advocates for survivors, they are challenging discriminatory practices and pushing for systemic reform. With our second cohort of Fellows starting in January 2025, we’re more committed than ever to building a world where justice is accessible to all. #16days #NoExcuse

Every survivor deserves to be heard. Dismissive attitudes from authorities deny survivors the justice they deserve and perpetuate cycles of violence. Survivors speak out on gender-based violence in South Africa’s Western Cape, in a new feature by Waging Justice for Women coming soon. #16days #NoExcuse

South Africa faces a gender-based violence crisis, with rates among the highest in the world. Behind these numbers are the lives impacted by such violence, and a justice system that too often fails survivors. The scale of this crisis underscores the urgent need for systemic change—change that prioritizes survivors, holds perpetrators accountable, and ensures that safety and justice are accessible to all. Survivors speak out on gender-based violence in South Africa’s Western Cape, in a new feature by Waging Justice for Women coming soon. #16days #NoExcuse