n Acta Juridica - The Women's Legal Centre during its first five years

Abstract

The Women's Legal Centre (WLC) has since 1999 brought cases to the courts and worked in Parliament and in administrative agencies to advance gender equality in the Republic of South Africa. From its inauguration, its commitment to women's rights and the use of constitutional litigation and public policy advocacy to protect those rights was shared with other organizations. Within that community of human rights and gender advocacy organizations, the WLC was, however, to become the pre-eminent organization working at the intersections where rule of law and women's rights converge.

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The purpose here is to present WLC's record during its first five years and to assess that record. Presented for context is a description of the state of women's rights at the time WLC was established, the needs WLC sought to address, its mission and strategies.