IWD: WRAPA Urges Action To Protect Widows’ Rights

The Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) has called on federal and state governments, traditional and faith leaders, and the private sector to prioritise targeted interventions for widows’ rights and livelihoods.

In a statement marking International Widows’ Day 2025 on Monday, WRAPA urged the enactment and enforcement of laws to secure widows’ access to housing, inheritance, and justice.

The organisation also advocated integrating widows into national social protection systems, abolishing harmful cultural practices, and investing in sustainable economic empowerment initiatives.

Nigeria hosts over 8 million widows, many of whom face eviction, denial of inheritance, landlord harassment, or degrading traditional rites while struggling to support their children.

WRAPA noted that deepening poverty and rising displacement make urgent protections “not just necessary, but long overdue.”

One such effort, the WRAPA 2024 Mustard Seed Widows Shelter Project, partnered with Modern Shelter Systems & Services Ltd to provide ₦100,000 in rent support to 106 vulnerable widows across six northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The initiative shielded beneficiaries from eviction and abuse, enabling them to stabilise small businesses, return children to school, and regain dignity. WRAPA plans to extend the project to six southern states and the FCT in 2025.

“This model shows what can be achieved when policy and resources are intentionally allocated. A widow’s grief should not lead to further pain and loss,” the statement read.

The group invoked Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, the African Union’s Maputo Protocol, and the domesticated African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, demanding justice and care embedded in policy and practice.

“Widowhood is a divine and inevitable phase of life,” WRAPA stated.

“Widows deserve dignity, livelihoods, and support from families, institutions, and communities, not selective sympathy.”