Student Fellowship in Human Rights - Equal Rights Trust

Applications for 2024 have now closed.

The Bonavero Institute Summer Fellowship at the Equal Rights Trust, is an eight-week remote internship, tenable from early July to late September 2024.

About the Equal Rights Trust

The Equal Rights Trust is an international NGO which works to eliminate all forms of discrimination and promote equality of participation for all. Our vision is an equal world: a world in which everyone – irrespective of their identity, status or beliefs – can participate in every area of life on an equal basis with others. We work in partnership to support those on the frontlines of the fight against discrimination, enabling them to press for the development, adoption and implementation of equality law, and to use the law effectively. In the last 15 years, we have supported equality activists in more than 50 countries and collaborated with international partners ranging from Transparency International to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

About the internship at the Equal Rights Trust

The successful applicant will work closely with our small team: conducting research in support of our new strategic plan, Equal in Dignity: Equal in Rights. This plan sees us focus on responding to four major challenges identified by equality activists, academics and advocates:

• The protection gap: more than 60% of states do not have laws which provide effective and comprehensive protection from all forms of discrimination.
• The implementation gap: Weak enforcement means that rights holders cannot secure remedy and sanction, while laws are largely ineffective in preventing – rather than remediating – discrimination.
• The application gap: Three major challenges: climate change, the use of AI and algorithmic systems and growing economic inequality demand new responses from equality law.
• The practice gap: Those working to address other causes of inequality pr advance equality for specific groups are not able to make effective use of the law.

Under the direction of the Trust’s Head of Research, the Fellow will undertake mapping, scoping, research and consultation within programmes responding to the implementation and application gaps:

The Remedy project: A global, comparative research project on enforcement and remedy in equality laws examining every aspect of the system – procedures and institutions, access to justice measures, approaches to evidence, models of sanction and remedy – in order to evidence common problems, understand “what works” and identify good practice.

The Equality law and climate justice initiative: A collaborative research initiative exploring the potential of equality law to form part of the response to climate change and examining how the law needs to develop to respond to challenges such as interstate and intergenerational climate inequalities.

The internship will provide the opportunity to develop research, analytical and drafting skills, to engage with equality activists, academics and advocates from across the globe, and to contribute to innovative, action-oriented research. Applicants should bring demonstrable understanding of, and interest in, international human rights law and equality law; strong research and analytical skills, in particular literature review and analysis; and a clear commitment to the mission and values of the Equal Rights Trust.

The successful candidate will receive an award to assist with travel, accommodation, living, and other reasonable expenses associated with the internship. In determining the amount to be awarded, other sources of funding will be taken into account.

The candidate will also be expected to provide a full report on their work at the end of their internship.

Please refer to the overview page referring specifically to the application process and eligibility criteria.