Organisational Profile
Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) is an NGO that was established in
1988. It draws its name from its mother international organization known as
Federacion Internacional De Abogadas (FIDA). FIDA has chapters through
out Europe and Africa.
FIDA was established with intention of assisting communities to understand
their legal rights as well as the laws that govern the country. In the beginning
it concentrated more on women and children, but extended its mandate to all
people who needed help.
Organisational Objectives

FIDA was formed with the aim of pursuing, among others, the following
objectives:
? Promotion of human rights in Lesotho with emphasis on the rights of
women and children;
? lobbying for the law reform;
? promotion of gender equality;
? Provision of legal aid services to the needy women and children; to
mention but a few.
Programmes of FIDA
The above-mentioned objectives are achieved by carrying out the following
programmes:
Legal Education
We raise awareness to people about their legal rights and the laws that are
discriminatory especially to women and children.
Legal Aid services
We provide legal services to needy people who cannot afford to engage
private lawyers. This includes legal representation and legal advises.
Legal reform
FIDA is heavily represented in the Law Reform Commission and as such is
able to influence, advocate and lobby for reforms of the laws that discriminate
and/or are of less protection to women and children. About twelve (12) laws
have been amended through FIDA’s efforts while two very important
legislations have been enacted. These are Sexual Offences Act NO. 3 of
2003 and Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act No. 9 of 2006
Training of Paralegals
In order to reach as many people as possible FIDA has embarked on training
Paralegals who assist in giving legal advises at the grassroots level. Trainees
are drawn from teachers, Village Health Workers, members of other NGOs,
Police, Local Councils and members of support groups.
Material Production
We simplify and translate into Sesotho selected laws that relate to the rights
of people living with HIV/AIDS and rights of orphans and vulnerable children.
FIDAS INPUTS IN COMBATING HIV/AIDS IN THE COUNTRY
Legal Education
For the past three (3) years FIDA has been working closely with Global Fund
in the area of advocacy which was done through Radio programmes,
simplification and translation laws that affects orphaned children and people
living with HIV/AIDS. Sixteen (16) phone-in programmes were conducted
through all radio stations in the country, where 8 selected legislations were
discussed. 8,000 copies of these laws were printed and distributed in
2005/06. Additional 17,500 copies were printed in 2007 through the
assistance of NAC, of which 14, 000 have been distributed to the authorities
dealing with Women and Children’s rights and in the districts of Maseru,
Mafeteng, Qacha, Nek and Leribe.
Currently we are working on the said legislations imputing into them the
HIV/AIDS components.
We continued to disseminate Sexual Offences Act to the communities and
selected schools. The Act brought many changes in the law as it has
changed the Common Law situation is so far as rape and other indecent acts
crimes are concerned. It has introduced modern ways of looking at crime and
the victims of crime by having sections such as:
? Rights of the victims;
? Duties of prosecutors;
? Compulsory HIV test of crime perpetrators;
? Cross examination through courts etc.
Legal Aid Clinic
As a result of the awareness raised over the radios under legal education
programme, since January 2007, we have received 58 cases of property
grabbing of the orphans. Half of these have been solved with the involved
relatives and local chiefs. The other ha