Providing access to justice, protecting rights of women, children and women with disabilities is our concern – WOLDI Africa

In her inaugural launch and first engagement with the public, the Women, Law and Development Initiative also known as WOLDI Africa with support from the Urgent Action Fund for Africa (UAF-AFRICA) held a one-day consultative forum on COVID-19 related Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Abuja,
WOLDI Africa is a non-governmental, non-profit women’s rights organization that seeks to provide voice to the voiceless and access to justice to women and children, promotion of elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and children, ensuring sustainable development and gender equality in Africa. In ensuring that the rights and liberties of women are protected and guaranteed, WOLDI Africa uses the machinery of the law to provide free legal services to indigent women, children, vulnerable persons and marginalized groups including women with disabilities.

In the words of the President and Founder of WOLDI Africa, Dr. Hauwa E. Shekarau, FICMC, the one-day consultative forum is also a platform to launch WOLDI Africa to the public and to tackle the challenges of access to justice by women especially with the coming of the COIVD-19 pandemic which has exacerbated the spread of sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria.
The vision of WOLDI AFRICA as a non-profit organization is a world where women and children have access to justice, their fundamental rights are guaranteed, protected and enforced and are free from all form of discrimination.

The mission of WOLDI Africa is to advocate for women’s rights and provide access to justice for women and children, protect their rights and liberties and promote their development by offering free legal services in the areas of strategic litigation, legal education, Advocacy, research and documentation on the fundamental rights and liberties for women and children.

Participants at the event were community leaders within the FCT; government ministries and agencies in particular were the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Legal Aid Council; the Nigerian Police Force represented by the gender unit; the Nigerian Correctional Centre; the Civil Society Organisations were also present, the Media (Print, digital, visual and audio); the National Association Of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and women-focused NGOs (FIDA Nigeria Abuja branch, Deaf Women Aloud, Cedar Seed Foundation, Women Right to Education) were all present.

While delivering her goodwill message, the honourable Minister of Women Affairs represented by Mrs Victoria Lar stated that the government encourages the Civil Society Organisations to partner with the government in ensuring access to justice and help for vulnerable women. She appreciated WOLDI Africa for taking giant steps to ensure that survivors of GBV have access justice. She concluded by stating that the Ministry of Women Affairs is ready to work with WOLDI Africa in achieving its mandate.

According to Ms Kyaharan Sude, Program Officer WOLDI Africa, so far WOLDI Africa has embarked on advocacy visits to Pasali and Kuchingoro communities of the FCT, engaged with the community leaders and empowered the women as well.
WOLDI Africa has also visited the Suleja Correctional Centre, 36 female inmates were attended to and 6 cases are currently handled by WOLDI Africa pro bono.