about GJU
● who we are
The Gender and Justice Unit (GJU) is a women-led Malawian organisation using legal empowerment as a catalyst for gender equality, access to justice, and social and climate justice.
GJU works at the point where law meets lived reality: supporting women and girls to understand and claim their rights, strengthening the frontline systems that respond to violence and legal injustice, and building legal tools that make justice more accessible across Malawi.
Founded by Sarai Chisala-Tempelhoff in 2017, GJU works through legal empowerment, strategic litigation, legal research, community mobilisation, technical assistance, legal technology, and partnerships to promote access to justice in Malawi.
● oUR MISSION & VISION
Our mission: To advance gender equality and access to justice through feminist-driven legal empowerment, advocacy, and strategic partnerships.
Our vision: A Malawi where gender equality and access to justice prevail.
● our core values
Strategic Partnership – We collaborate with organisations that share our goals to amplify our collective impact.
Integrity – We uphold strong ethical standards in every aspect of our work.
Feminist Leadership – We embrace feminist principles to promote equality for women and marginalised identities.
Inclusion – We foster diversity, equity, and fairness in all our practices.
Innovative Leadership – We lead with creativity and boldness to create meaningful change.
● our logo
The GJU logo, designed by Joe Ruzvidzo, incorporates the Adinkra symbol Fawohodie, reflecting our mission and grounding our identity in African wisdom. Originating from West Africa, Adinkra symbols convey traditional values. Fawohodie represents the belief that freedom comes with responsibility — a principle at the heart of our work.
● our partners
Partnership is at the core of everything we do. We believe that meaningful access to justice is built through collective effort. Our impact is made possible by the organisations and allies who walk this path with us — and we are deeply grateful for their continued support and collaboration.
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