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Power and rights in the community: paralegals as leaders in women's legal empowerment in Tanzania

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-21, 06:02 authored by Helen DancerHelen Dancer
What can an analysis of power in local communities contribute to debates on women’s legal empowerment and the role of paralegals in Africa? Drawing upon theories of power and rights, and research on legal empowerment in African plural legal systems, this article explores the challenges for paralegals in facilitating women’s access to justice in Tanzania, which gave statutory recognition to paralegals in the Legal Aid Act 2017. Land conflicts represent the single-biggest source of local legal disputes in Tanzania and are often embedded in gendered land tenure relations. This article argues that paralegals can be effective actors in women’s legal empowerment where they are able to work as leaders, negotiating power relations and resisting the forms of violence that women encounter as obstacles to justice. Paralegals’ authority will be realised when their role is situated within community leadership structures, confirming their authority while preserving their independence.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Feminist Legal Studies

ISSN

1572-8455

Publisher

Springer Verlag

Issue

1

Volume

26

Page range

47-64

Department affiliated with

  • Law Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-04-05

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-04-05

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-04-04

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