Changing What Justice Looks Like for Girls in Somaliland
When girls in Somaliland are arrested, they face the justice system alone. Lawyers aren't permitted inside police stations or prisons, so by the time a girl appears before a judge, she has often been detained for days without anyone to speak for her, challenge the evidence, or explain the circumstances that brought her there in the first place.
That's the gap a single Giving Joy grant of $500 is helping to close.
The Children's Legal Defense Center (CLDC), co-founded by human rights lawyer Caitlin Lambert, was awarded a Giving Joy microgrant to provide legal defense for girls and young women in Somaliland's criminal justice system with a goal of reaching 10 to 15 clients.
They reached 41.
Between January and April 2026, CLDC represented 41 girls and young women, some as young as 13, on charges ranging from theft to public fighting to trading in alcohol — often driven by poverty and a complete lack of access to the formal economy. In one case alone, 21 girls were detained after a school fight.
The Impact
32 girls released from custody
26 releases secured through customary agreements negotiated by CLDC
3 sentences reduced
6 cases still active, with representation ongoing
These aren't just legal victories. For a 14-year-old facing her first time before a judge, having a lawyer means having someone who sees her full circumstances — not just the charge on the paper.
Why This Work Matters
CLDC doesn't just defend cases. They argue them differently. In cases where girls were charged with selling alcohol or drugs, CLDC presented their limited access to legal employment as a mitigating factor — pushing courts to understand the context behind the charge, not just the charge itself. That kind of advocacy doesn't just help one girl. It slowly shifts how an entire justice system thinks.
This grant has helped CLDC lay the groundwork for Somaliland's first dedicated gender-focused legal defense unit — building the expertise, evidence, and institutional knowledge to make this work permanent.
You Can Be Part of What Comes Next
Since 2020, CLDC has provided legal aid to over 2,600 children and secured the release of more than 1,600. This microgrant shows what's possible when even the smallest investment is made in the right place.
Giving Joy funds organizations like CLDC because we believe justice shouldn't depend on whether you can afford a lawyer, or whether anyone bothered to show up for you at all.