Map of the 2019 World Justice Challenge: Access to Justice Solutions finalists
Map of the 2019 World Justice Challenge: Access to Justice Solutions finalists

 

World Justice Challenge 2019: Access to Justice Solutions

In 2019, the World Justice Project organized the World Justice Challenge around the theme of Access to Justice Solutions. The objective was to identify and promote good practices and successful solutions that would help narrow the justice gap for everyday legal problems. WJP received over 250 applications and selected 30 finalists to present their projects at the World Justice Forum 2019, which took place from April 29 to May 3, 2019 in The Hague, Netherlands.

 

World Justice Challenge 2019 Winners

The 30 finalists presented their projects in the World Justice Forum's Expo Village and during featured presentations to Forum participants. The judges selected five winners.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the 2019 World Justice Challenge winners announcement, WJP caught up with each winning project to learn how their work has progressed, challenges faced, and how the World Justice Challenge award has supported their work. Explore the project updates:

160 Girls Access to Justice Project

The Equality Effect, Kenya

Nearly two-thirds of Kenyan girls experience sexual assault. In 2013 the Kenyan High Court found that police failure to enforce existing rape law had created a climate of impunity. This project is working to change this culture through police trainings, education, and creative legal advocacy projects.  
 

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Photo courtesy of The Equality Effect
Photo courtesy of The Equality Effect

Partnering for Native Health

Alaska Legal Services Corporation, United States

Indigenous populations throughout the United States experience some of the greatest health inequalities. This project is the first US collaboration delivering health-impacting civil legal assistance to a target population of economically vulnerable indigenous individuals, specifically targeting remote and rural areas. PNH addresses indigenous peoples social determinants of health by using legal empowerment and education as a tool to improve the health and safety of tribal members, and establishing culturally appropriate locally based networks of civil legal attorneys embedded in the tribal health care delivery system. 

Listen to WJP's Rule of Law Talk podcast episode featuring the Partnering for Native Health project: "Indigenous Communities and COVID-19: Local Challenges and Resilient Strategies for Building Back Better."
 

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Photo courtesty of Partnering for Native Health
Photo courtesty of Partnering for Native Health

Malawi Resentencing Project

Cornell Centre on the Death Penalty Worldwide, The Malawi Legal Aid Bureau, and Reprieve; Malawi

In 2007, the Malawi High Court struck down the mandatory death penalty on the grounds that it violated the accused's constitutional rights to a fair trial and access to justice. This project was established in 2014 by a coalition of stakeholders to secure and support new sentence hearings that adhered to international fair trial standards.
 

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Photo courtesy of the Malawi Resentencing Project
Photo courtesy of the Malawi Resentencing Project

Riverine People and the Right to Full Reparation

Instituto Socioambiental - ISA, Brazil

In 2015, 300 families who lived on the islands and banks of the Xingu River, state of Pará, Brazil, were forcibly displaced from their homes to make way for the reservoir of Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant. This project, through strategic advocacy and a broad negotiation with the Brazilian government and the corporation, was able to influence the elaboration and implementation of an adequate reparation policy for traditional populations impacted by large infrastructure projects.
 

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Photo courtesy of Instituto Socioambiental
Photo courtesy of Instituto Socioambiental

Monitoring Maternal Health Entitlements & Increasing Access to Grievance Redressal

Nazdeek, India

The State of Assam experiences the highest maternal mortality rate in India. Health concerns are compounded on tea plantations where workers face substandard working conditions that negatively impact their health. This project developed grievance forums to identify and monitor rights violations, provide a mechanism for communities and the legal/administrative systems to discuss issues and concerns, and ultimately assist women in seeking redressal for their maternal and child health problems.
 

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Photo courtesy of Nazdeek
Photo courtesy of Nazdeek

World Justice Challenge 2019 Finalists

The 2019 World Justice Challenge received a wide range of applications highlighting projects tackling the justice gap from nongovernmental, governmental, and civil society organizations. The five winning World Justice Challenge projects—selected out of 30 finalists and over 250 submissions—represent a small portion of some of the best work being done globally to increase access to justice. Browse all finalists:

World Justice Challenge 2019 Honorable Mentions

The World Justice Project was also pleased to recognize the following ten projects as 2019 World Justice Challenge honorable mentions. These projects were invited to present their work in the World Justice Forum Expo alongside finalist projects:

To see more practical programs, please visit the WJP Program Library, which catalogs on-the-ground rule of law solutions the WJP has inspired and fostered through early-stage funding and network connections in 61 countries to date.

 


 

The 2019 World Justice Challenge competition was made possible through sponsorship by the WJP's League of Law Firms and Law Departments