Aden (South24 Center)

On Wednesday, October 14, the South24 Center for News and Studies concluded a training workshop titled 'Women for Local Governance: Empowering Female Lawyers as Community Mediators to Enhance Accountability and Dispute Resolution.' The three-day workshop, which took place from October 12 to 14 and comprised 18 training hours, was held in the capital, Aden, with support from the Political Development Forum and the Berghof Foundation, and funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The workshop brought together 12 female lawyers with the aim of enhancing their capabilities in community mediation to support local governance and accountability, as well as contribute to the peaceful settlement of disputes. The training was conducted by Dr. Zeina Khalil and focused on developing the participants' knowledge and skills in local governance, conflict analysis, conflict-sensitive mediation, dialogue, and negotiation. It also addressed the distinction between mediation, litigation, and arbitration, and the identification of cases suitable for mediation versus those requiring referral to competent authorities, while accounting for power and gender dynamics in mediation processes.

During the workshop's proceedings

The program adopted a participatory, applied methodology, transitioning participants from theoretical knowledge to practical application through case studies inspired by the reality of Aden city, group exercises, role-playing, and the mapping of referral pathways for cases from the community to local authorities, public prosecution, and courts.

This initiative comes amid mounting social, familial, and civil disputes in Aden, increasing pressure on the formal justice system, and a lack of organized communication channels between the community and local authorities. These disputes include family, inheritance, property, and local service-related issues—some of which can be resolved through dialogue and consensus before escalating or reaching the judiciary. In this context, female lawyers enjoy trust in handling sensitive community and familial matters, while their contributions as mediators and liaisons with local authorities remain limited.

During the workshop's proceedings

The workshop is a part of South24 Center's efforts to enhance women's participation in local governance and develop community mediation mechanisms and coordination with relevant authorities to reach practical and sustainable solutions to disputes.

During the workshop's proceedings

Among the project's outcomes was the establishment of the 'Female Lawyers Network for Mediation and Local Dispute Resolution,' supervised by Dr. Heba Aidarous, with support from Dr. Zeina Khalil and the participation of the network's members. The network aims to provide an organized professional framework and a sustainable coordination channel between female lawyers, local authorities, and judicial bodies, enabling the submission and follow-up of community complaints and needs, with aspirations to expand its scope to other governorates in the future.

During the workshop's proceedings

In continuation of the project, the Center will prepare a participatory policy paper over the coming months addressing local governance gaps and ways to enhance community accountability based on the training outcomes. It will also hold a multi-stakeholder political dialogue bringing together stakeholders and relevant parties to formulate practical recommendations that establish permanent communication mechanisms between the community and authorities.