About the Gender and Justice Unit
The Gender and Justice Unit (GJU) is a non-governmental organisation that utilises legal empowerment as a catalyst for gender equality and social and environmental justice. Founded by Sarai Chisala-Tempelhoff in 2017. We work towards achieving justice through strategic litigation, legal research, strategic partnerships, and strengthening access to justice through pro bono legal representation, research, and advocacy. The organisation is registered under the Companies Act (Cap 46:03) of the Laws of Malawi as a company limited by guarantee.
Our MISSION is to advance gender equality and access to justice through feminist driven legal empowerment, advocacy and strategic partnerships.
Our VISION is to see a Malawi Malawi where Gender Equality and access to justice prevails.
Our Core Values
- Strategic partnership – We work alongside organisations with shared goals to achieve justice effectively.
- Integrity – We uphold strong ethical standards in our work and procedures.
- Feminist Leadership – We use the principles provided through feminist thought to achieve equality for women and marginalised identities.
- Inclusion – We are committed to creating a climate where diversity flourishes and is welcome, and we dedicate ourselves to treating all individuals respectfully, intentionally, and fairly.
- Innovative Leadership – We believe in leading our initiatives with strong creative leadership by driven and empowered individuals.
Our Team
At the GJU, we believe that the collective effort of a passionate team can bring about real change. We are proud to introduce you to the dedicated team behind our success: Team GJU! This dynamic team of dedicated individuals has worked tirelessly to advance our mission and make a positive impact in our impact communities.
Sarai Chisala Tempelhoff
Founder & Executive Director
Sarai Chisala Tempelhoff
Founder and Executive Director
Sarai Chisala-Tempelhoff (she/her) is a Malawian human rights lawyer and a legal researcher with over 18 years of experience in the intersections of VAWG/GBV and the law. Trained as a lawyer, Sarai has gone on to specialize in human rights and democratization in Africa as well as women’s and gender studies. Through GJU, Sarai provides free legal assistance and trauma support for victims of gender-based violence (GBV); the GJU is conducting research into the experiences of women during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has developed simplified, and translated legal empowerment tools to bridge the gap between women and the justice they seek for GBV. Her research focus has always been on women and access to justice and the intersections between the letter of the law and women’s lived realities. She has blogged, published, conducted training, agitated about, written, and researched various aspects of women and the law. Sarai serves on the Boards of AFIDEP, the HIV Justice Network, and the Young Feminists Network. She is named by Apolitical as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy 2021! Sarai lives and works in Malawi.
Emma Kalea Chigwenembe
Deputy Director and Projects Manager
Emma Kalea Chigwenembe
Projects Manager
Emma Kalea Chigwenembe is a Malawian women’s human rights defender with professional expertise in program management and coordination for 10 years in nongovernmental organizations and humanitarian work. Emma is an active human rights defender who is specialized in supporting and promoting the rights of vulnerable and minority groups in Malawi. Emma currently serves as a Project Manager at the Gender and Justice Unit. Her role at GJU is to oversee the implementation of organizational goals and objectives, including reviewing budgets and planning events. Emma has a Master’s Degree in Development Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts (Humanities) both obtained from Chancellor College, a constituent of the University of Malawi. She is a qualified trainer for Frontline Defenders Organization in Southern Region Africa. Currently, sitting as a Board Chairperson for the Girls Empowerment Network (GENET) and as the Chairperson for the Women Human Rights Defenders Steering Committee in Malawi.
Bridget Kaphamtengo
Finance, Human Resource & Administration Coordinator
Bridget Kaphamtengo
Finance and Human Resource Coordinator
Bridget is a holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance obtained at Blantyre International University. She has more than 7 years of experience in both Accounting and Financial Management. She is responsible for day-to-day operations, maintaining the Gender and Justice Unit finances, administration, and Human Resource Systems. She is a highly detail-oriented individual, eager to contribute towards the building of a strong finance team. Skilled at donor Financial Reporting, financial planning, Grants management, budget forecasting and Human Resource Systems. She also has hands-on experience with different Accounting software, knowledge, and understanding of various Accounting and Finance tools.
Chifundo Chulu
Paralegal
Chifundo Chulu
Paralegal Officer
Chifundo Chulu is a highly motivated legal practitioner with over 3 years of working experience in gender development work. She has experience in strategic litigation, gender and gender-related laws, and women and youth development. She is passionate about gender equality and social justice, women empowerment, and sustainable development.
Nellie Nthakomwa
Paralegal
Nellie Nthakomwa
Nellie Nthakomwa is a passionate paralegal and a women and child rights advocate with extensive knowledge in criminal law and gender-based violence issues. Driven by a passion for justice, she is a seasoned professional with nearly two decades in the legal field.
Nellie’s expertise lies in working closely with law enforcement agencies, local communities and stakeholders to provide valuable paralegal services. She has thus far helped quite an extensive number of men, women boys and girls who were suspected to have come in conflict with the law to seek redress on their various cases; through legal empowerment sessions called paralegal aid clinics. Through this, many have walked to freedom by successfully arguing their cases and secured themselves acquittals, community service, suspended sentences and or lesser sentences. She has also been keen in helping in identifying and bringing to the limelight some that got forgotten in the system and hence spend substantial periods on remand, more especially those on homicide charges who were then released through the facilitation of their bails at the High Court and also through camp courts.
Her dedication to child protection and advocacy has given her insight into the importance of community-based work with children, youth, women and child justice. With her extensive background in Paralegal Advisory Service Institute (PASI), She now is committed to making a difference through legal clinics. She strives to contribute towards a fairer and more just society.
Proudly a barefoot lawyer
Rosella Chibwana
Project Officer
Rosella Chibwana
Project Officer
Rosella Chibwana is a registered state nurse with the Malawi Nurses and Midwives Council, contributing over seven years of dedicated service to healthcare. Throughout her career, she has developed a skill set focused on empowering and engaging Malawian citizens, both within and beyond hospital settings. Rosella’s commitment to community work has resulted in fruitful collaborations with diverse individuals, creating meaningful impacts.
As a trained counselor within her nursing education, Rosella possesses a unique set of skills that enables her to connect with individuals on a personal level. In addition to her nursing profession, she holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and food science from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). Her academic pursuits included a focus on Gender and Development, enriching her understanding and broadening her perspective on the complexities surrounding gender equality.
Rosella’s career is characterized by a continuous commitment to providing compassionate care. She not only addresses the medical needs of individuals but also tackles broader social and gender-related challenges that they may face, reflecting her holistic approach to healthcare.
Gladys Makunganya
Office Assistant
Gladys Makunyanga
Office Assistant
Gladys has been a GBV Clinic and office Assistant for GJU for more than three years. She keeps the Legal Clinic and office immaculately clean and regularly sanitizes them. She also acts as a childminder for mothers who visit the court for counseling. She is in charge of running the offices and cleaning and disinfecting furniture and surfaces as necessary. Serving tea and coffee to GJU personnel and guests as well as assisting to organize and maintain office common areas, she ensures that every employee and visitor has a warm environment.
Frank Suwedi
Security Guard
Affiliates
Our team of short-term consultants and research associates forms a dynamic and collaborative force that contributes to the Gender and Justice Unit’s impactful work. With a shared commitment to gender equality, justice, and empowerment, we strive to make a lasting difference in the lives of those whose voices have been marginalised.
Sylvia Namakhwa
Counseling and PFA Expert
Chikondi Mandala
Legal Researcher
Chikondi Mandala
Legal Research Associate
Chikondi is a senior resident magistrate whose primary responsibility is adjudication. She exercises broad jurisdiction, ranging from criminal matters to civil matters including matrimonial, contractual, and land disputes. Chikondi is also a member of the Women Judges’ Association of Malawi, which promotes access to justice for women and children. Chikondi has been working with the Gender and Justice Unit from 2020 to the present. She has vast experience in research and as a judicial officer where one of her roles was to establish the Law Reporting Unit. Chikondi holds a Master of Laws in Transnational Criminal Justice from the University of the Western Cape, a Master of Laws (LLM) from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Malawi. She also does work with Malawian prisoners under the auspices of the Center for Human Rights, Education, Advice, and Assistance.
Peter Mota
Legal Practitioner & Consultant
Felisah Kilembe-Mitambo
Felisah Kilembe-Mitambo
Felisah is a Malawian lawyer with fourteen (14) years of legal experience who has a strong interest in the intersection between business and human rights and has worked both in a private law firm and as a consultant for local and international human rights NGOs. She has undertaken strategic litigation for several NGOs like the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), the Gender Justice Unit (GJU) and the Malawi Women Lawyers Association (a human rights organisation of female lawyers) aimed at law reform like age of consent laws; LGBTQI+ rights and refugee rights. She is on the roster of Counsel approved to appear before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights under its legal aid, tasked with representing indigent claimants before that Court. She has drafted and presented before the UN Human Rights Committee the NGOs reply to a list of issues pursuant to Malawi’s first state report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the ICCPR; She is the former President of the Malawi Women Lawyers Association and immediate past Vice President of the Malawi Law Society (a lawyers’ regulatory body). She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Degree from the University of Malawi, a Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford (UK) and an LLM in International Trade Law from the University of Leeds (UK).
Deborah Kwilirani
Chimwemwe Mwenyekonde
Mwenecho Kanyinji
Our Oversight Committee
The GJU is governed by an Oversight Committee composed of six members with expertise in Human Rights Law, advocacy, research and development and finance. The oversight committee has been instrumental in guiding us through the challenges of the past year. Their unwavering commitment to our mission, strategic vision and effective governance has been invaluable in helping us achieve our goals.
Yambani Mulemba
Chair
Annabel Raw
Habiba Osman
Lynda Ndovie-Jere
Thumbiko Msiska
Welkam Phiri
Partners & Funders
Meaningful partnerships are at the heart of our programming, and we recognise that the road to meaningful access to justice for all is paved by the collaborative steps we take. We take this opportunity to appreciate every organisation that has contributed to our impact.
Enhancing gender equality and social justice: enabling "Fawohodie" independence, freedom, emancipation
The GJU logo was designed by Joe Ruzvidzo, Joe was asked to incorporate the Adinkra symbol “Fawohodie” to anchor the GJU branding in the intention of the GJU mission as well as firmly contextualising the imaging within African knowledge and symbolism. Adinkra are visual symbols, originally created by the Ashanti of Ghana and the Gyaman of Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa, that represent concepts or aphorisms. The symbols represent objects that encapsulate evocative messages to convey traditional wisdom, aspects of life or the environment. Fawohodie is the symbol of independence, freedom, emancipation. From the expression: Fawodhodie ene obre na enam. Literal translation: “Independence comes with its responsibilities.” (from Cloth As Metaphor by G.F. Kojo Arthur).