Centre Marks 25 Years Of Women’s Rights Advocacy

The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) will commemorate 25 years of women’s rights advocacy with a gathering of jurists, lawmakers, feminists and civil society leaders.

The communication officer/editor Women News Today, Ene Oshaba, in a press statement, yesterday, said the silver jubilee, themed “Breaking Barriers and Building Futures with Women and Girls in Nigeria,” will reflect on WARDC’s two-and-a-half decades of legal empowerment, gender justice and feminist advocacy.

Public policy expert and former World Bank vice president, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, described WARDC as “one of Nigeria’s most courageous institutions,” noting that its work has sustained accountability and justice for women who might otherwise have been silenced.

Feminist leader and former Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, said the organisation has “redefined feminist legal advocacy in Nigeria by centring survivors and challenging patriarchal systems.”

Reflecting on the journey, WARDC founder Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, described the organisation as “a movement built on courage, solidarity and the refusal to accept injustice as normal,” adding that its most significant impact lies in the everyday lives of women and girls, who now understand and assert their rights.

The founder said the celebration of WARDC’s 25th Anniversary is expected to draw judicial leaders, parliamentarians, development partners and beneficiaries from across Nigeria and beyond.

Dr Afolabi revealed that the celebration will also include the unveiling of a commemorative book chronicling WARDC’s struggles, victories and impact. She reiterated that the book will be reviewed by Guardian Today Woman Editor, Ijeoma Odia-Thomas, with reflections from Erelu Adeleye-Fayemi and Dr Akiyode-Afolabi.

The opening ceremony will feature a procession of WARDC staff, volunteers and partners, followed by opening remarks from the chairman of the ceremony, Prof. Akin Oyebode, and a welcome address by the Chairperson of the WARDC Board, Prof. Jumai Audi.