COLLABORATIONS LEGAL OFFICER

The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) is a feminist pan-African organisation focused on strategic litigation for women’s human rights and sexual rights at national and regional levels within the African human rights system. Our work is based on the belief that strategic litigation is an immensely powerful tool for social change because it helps to reframe the understanding of entitlements before the law and challenges legal discourse. ISLA seeks to gain ground by creating domestic and regional jurisprudence in women’s human rights and sexual rights; strengthening the capacity of litigators and NGOs on the continent; and conducting rigorous research.

COLLABORATIONS LEGAL OFFICER

(12-month fixed-term contract)

ISLA seeks to appoint a Collaborations Legal Officer to work full-time within the Collaborations priority area. The role will advance ISLA’s legal and normative advocacy by leading the dissemination and strategic uptake of existing knowledge products, supporting civil-society partners and coalitions, and responding to fast-moving regional developments. The Legal Officer will focus particularly on strengthening regional mechanism and countering anti-rights actors by utilising ISLA’s seizing and shielding approach, they will support strengthening civil society, and advocacy responses to regressive normative developments such as the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (CEVAWG), the draft African Charter on Family Values and Sovereignty, and related anti-rights developments. Grounded in ISLA’s Collaborations Guide, the role combines strong legal analysis and writing with partner engagement, public advocacy and responsive project delivery.

Preference will be given to qualifying women applicants.

Salary: $50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand dollars only) gross annual income. This position offers a competitive total cost-to-company salary commensurate with experience.

Closing Date: 15 September 2026

Suitable candidates who meet the requirements for this position are invited to complete the application form here.

ISLA’s job application form replaces the need to submit a CV, as we prefer to receive standardised information from all candidates. The ISLA recruitment team will review applications. Only shortlisted candidates will receive feedback and any further requirements. Late applications will not be considered.

Minimum Responsibilities:

Legal and Normative Advocacy

·        Monitor, analyse and respond to fast-moving legal, political and normative developments within the African human rights system, including CEVAWG, the draft African Charter on Family Values and Sovereignty, and comparable anti-rights initiatives.

·        Develop persuasive legal and normative arguments that support the seizing and shielding of progressive mandates and resist attempts to co-opt, capture or weaken regional human rights mechanisms.

·        Draft high-quality legal briefs, submissions, advocacy notes, talking points and related outputs to a near-final standard with minimal supervision.

·        Support the strategic review and strengthening of legal and advocacy products, including coordination with internal and external technical reviewers where required.

Knowledge Dissemination and Repackaging

·     Lead the dissemination and strategic uptake of ISLA’s existing knowledge products under SRM and CARA thematic areas, ensuring that they reach and are useful to priority audiences.

·    Translate complex legal and normative analysis into clear, accessible and compelling materials for civil-society organisations, movements, decision-makers, media and other audiences.

·       Adapt messaging and formats to suit different audiences and advocacy moments while preserving legal accuracy, feminist analysis and institutional positioning.

·   Work collaboratively across ISLA, including with colleagues responsible for communications and knowledge products, to plan and deliver timely dissemination.

Partner Engagement and Strengthening Civil Society

·        Support communications and sustain relationships with partners, coalitions, networks, movements and other stakeholders working on contested rights and regional human rights advocacy.

·        Convene and coordinate collaborative advocacy, maintain engagement between formal meetings and support partners to identify and act on strategic opportunities.

·        Support civil-society organisations and emerging movements to strengthen their legal, advocacy and institutional capacity.

·        Navigate disagreement, conflict and complex power dynamics constructively across diverse geographical, political and organisational contexts.

Public Advocacy, Representation and Delivery

·        Represent ISLA and collaborative initiatives confidently and persuasively at convenings, webinars, side events, institutional or member-state meetings, media engagements and other public forums.

·        Communicate effectively on contentious or polarising issues, including with audiences that may be hostile or divided.

·        Plan, manage and report on concurrent projects and workstreams from end to end, maintaining quality and momentum as priorities change.

·        Respond with energy, urgency and sound judgement to emerging advocacy opportunities or crises without compromising existing commitments.

·        Contribute to the Collaborations function and undertake other related responsibilities that advance ISLA’s mission.