EWLA is a non-profit association established in 1995 by Ethiopian women lawyers. It was re-registered as a local organization by the F.D.R.E Authority for Civil Society Organizations in 2019, in accordance with the Civil Society Organization Proclamation No. 1113/2019. Over the past 15 years, EWLA has focused on advocating for the protection of women’s rights and ensuring their full enjoyment of human and legal rights through three core programs: research and advocacy, public education and capacity building, and the provision of free legal aid. In recent years, the organization has expanded its mission to emphasize capacity building for female legal professionals, fostering collaboration among them and empowering them to advocate for the rights of marginalized women across the country.
As EWLA has grown, its outreach has significantly increased. Initially, the organization opened six branch offices and established 15 committees composed of grassroots volunteers. Today, it has expanded to eight branch offices and 57 committees.
EWLA addresses a wide range of issues affecting women’s rights, including family law, land rights, labor issues, violence against women, harmful traditional practices, political participation, health, education, and other pertinent topics. The organization has contributed to changes in policy and legal frameworks, enhancing women’s access to justice and uniting female legal professionals.
Despite these efforts, significant challenges persist due to deeply rooted gender discriminatory norms and practices. Progress toward achieving gender equality and empowering women is slow, particularly regarding the establishment of comprehensive laws and policies and the enforcement of existing frameworks. Much work remains to create gender-transformative systems and services that cater to the unique circumstances and needs of individuals, while also expanding our reach and ensuring the provision of quality services.
We drive gender-responsive legal reform by leveraging evidence-based research to advocate for the amendment of discriminatory laws and the ratification of international instruments. As a civil society partner, we influence policy development to uphold the rights of women and girls and ensure state accountability through active participation in international and regional periodic reporting.
Learn MoreAcross both humanitarian and development contexts, we provide rights literacy to all women, girls, and the broader community, including men and religious/traditional leaders. We facilitate access to justice and peer-to-peer networks to ensure survivors are connected to essential resources. Simultaneously, we strengthen the capacity of service providers to deliver gender sensitive and survivor-centered care, ensuring their mandates are carried out in a way that is safe and accessible for all women and girls in all settings.
Learn MoreWe provide free legal advice and representation to all women and girls, ensuring equitable access to justice across both development and crisis-affected environments. By integrating legal services with robust referral linkages to multi-sectoral providers, we ensure that all clients, especially those in difficult circumstances, receive the immediate protection, health, and psychosocial support necessary for their holistic empowerment and long-term resilience.
Learn MoreWe empower young female legal professionals and young girls aspiring to the legal profession through structured mentorship, networking, and experience-sharing. By fostering these connections across all stages of development, we motivate the next generation of women to pursue legal careers and build a robust, supportive community of advocates dedicated to leadership and the advancement of women’s rights.
Learn MoreWe uphold the highest standards of professional ethics and service quality to ensure the delivery of compliant, reliable, and high-impact legal assistance. By fostering a collaborative environment and promoting continuous learning, we drive systemic improvement in legal standards and ensure our members provide the highest quality of service to the community.
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Since its establishment in 1995 through its three major programs, EWLA has been addressing the issue of gender equality, women empowerment and violence against women among many other issues. EWLA has helped women access justice, which is crucial to attain gender equality. Until now, over 300,000 women and double number of children have accessed justice through the legal aid service provided by EWLA.
The extensive public education works have helped increase awareness on the rights of women and response/support mechanisms. Over 80,000 persons have been directly participated in the awareness creation and capacity building workshops and training sessions organized by EWLA and over 5 million people have been reached through awareness creation media programs like Berchi.
It has also successfully advocated for law reforms in the areas of family law, pension law, land right law and the criminal code.
Vision: Aspire to see a society where all women and girls in Ethiopia fully exercise their human rights, achieve substantive equality and live in a just and equitable nation.
Mission: To advance the rights of women and girls in Ethiopia through evidence-based policy/legal advocacy, comprehensive free legal aid, grassroots education, capacity building of service providers and the professional empowerment of women in the legal sector.
EWLA is head quartered in Addis Ababa and has opened its regional offices in seven regions and 1 city administration namely Adama, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Gambella, Asosa, Jigjiiga and Semera regions as well as city administration of Dire Dawa. The branch/regional offices are supported by 55 trained voluntary committees organized at woreda and zonal levels providing structures to reach women at a grass root level all over Ethiopia. Besides, it has established a hotline service (7711) which operates in 3 local languages: Amharic, Afan Oromo and Tigrigna.
