Costa Rica
Pact in Costa Rica focuses on strengthening the capacity of the Colegio de Abogados, the Costa Rican Bar Association. Support from Pact has enabled the opening of new legal assistance centers in regions such as Liman Alajuela, near San Jose. Pact has provided computer equipment and installed SIADELCA, a case managing software, in labor offices around the country, and supported partners in its use. This will help the Bar Association and other legal providers manage their labor justice cases more effectively, and process more cases as well. Additionally, Pact has provided extensive trainings on Labor Law, Litigation, the Judiciary and the Labor Market to lawyers and professionals at the Bar Association. A notable achievement of Pact’s work in country is that 40 lawyers signed commitments to handle 50 labor cases each, increasing access to labor justice and helping improve the sustainability of legal assistance in the country. In addition, in June 2010 the Bar Association hired a Director of Social Responsibility to manage “social defense clinics” in 6 different locations around the country. This new director will help ensure the sustainability of Pact’s work after the project has ended, with the Bar Association now able to continue providing free legal assistance.
Pact works on the rights of domestic workers, participating in the festivities on Migrant’s Day Celebration, along with migrant domestic workers across the country. During the celebration, Pact helped to provide assistance and worked with paid domestic workers on increasing their access to labor rights. Pact also works in partnership with the Association of Domestic Workers (ASTRADOMES). ASTRADOMES strives to enhance the leadership capacity of migrant women working within the domestic service industry by improving the capacity of domestic workers to organize and carry out effective political advocacy campaigns to achieve labor rights equality for local and migrant women. Their work includes activities such as: developing a campaign to increase public awareness on the rights of women working as maids, strengthening local leadership, and advocating within the legal system for the enforcement of the rights of Costa Rican and migrant women. A representative from ASTRADOMES recently attended an International Labor Organization conference in Geneva, Switzerland, where the rights of domestic workers was for the first time adopted the convention on domestic workers.
Success Story
On May 6th, the Social Defense unit of the Costa Rican Bar Association was awarded a master key to access and review via the Internet all labor cases that are being processed. This key will allow simplifying and speeding up procedures in order to improve access to labor justice. On May 21st, the Costa Rican Bar Association held a formal presentation on the Costa Rican Labor Litigation Manual, which was developed and elaborated by Pact. The Association also thanked labor justice program for the computers provided by Pact to the Social Defense Units.
In Costa Rica, Pact has partnered with the following organizations:
