Strengthening co-operation between university legal clinics and their capacity to support women’s access to justice were at the centre of the first working meeting of the Coordination Platform of Legal Clinics on Women’s Rights, held in Tbilisi on 14 July. The recently established Platform brings together university-based legal clinics in Georgia to provide an organised framework for co-operation, exchange of expertise and joint initiatives on women’s rights and preventing violence against women.
Representatives of eight higher education institutions identified priorities for the Platform’s first one-year action plan, with a particular focus on strengthening the institutional and practical capacities of legal clinics. Key priorities include developing a multidisciplinary referral mechanism connecting clinics with each other and with relevant services and institutions, as well as common standard operating procedures and methodological guidance. Members also identified capacity building for students and academic personnel, student research, and greater visibility and accessibility of legal clinic services as areas for joint work.
“The Platform gives us an opportunity to learn from each other and work together to make legal support more accessible to women, especially those in more vulnerable situations,” noted one of the participating university representatives.
Ilia State University was unanimously elected to chair the Platform for a one-year term. Members also discussed the upcoming study visit to the Netherlands in September 2026, which will provide an opportunity to explore different approaches to clinical legal education, referral mechanisms, student involvement in real cases and co-operation with civil society and other institutions, with a view to adapting relevant practices to the Georgian context.
Following the meeting, the Council of Europe will support the Platform to develop its first one-year action plan and map the services and referral resources available within participating universities. Strengthened co-operation among university legal clinics can contribute to more accessible legal support for women victims and foster socially responsible legal practice in the areas of women’s rights and violence against women in Georgia.
The meeting was organised in the framework of the project “Advancing gender equality, strengthening justice and support for women in Georgia”. The Project is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027.
