Yakin Ertürk, Director, UN Division for the Advancement of
Women: supporting our conference in 2001
.... "The issues which widows generally face and those encountered by women in developing countries are cause for serious concern. The situation of widows should continue to be featured on the international fora until they become firmly integrated into the policy agenda.
Our Partner WiDO
The Widows Development Organisation (WiDO) is a NGO which supports the human rights of widows in Nigeria
Bill of Rights
Bill on the prohibition of infringement of widows and widowers fundamental rghts
This bill was passed by the Enugu State House of Assembly on 8th March 2001 and signed into law by the Executive Governor on 26th June 2001.
This bill was brought in after a good deal of advocacy by a number of local women’s groups. WiDO has produced a pared down version in the local language which illustrates the main provisions of the bill including the prohibiting of compelling the shaving of the head, sleepign with the spouse’s corpse, foreceful remarriage, grabbing of property and confinement, among others.
Anyone who contravenes …this law shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N5,000 or two years imprisonment or both”.
In 2004 four women’s groups including WiDO decided to pool their resources
to fund a civil society / legislative Consultation on the Violence Against
Women (Prohibition) Bill 2003. This Bill had been put together in 2001 by a
coalition of 56 Nigerian Organisations and individuals, called the Legislative
Advocacy Coalition on Violence Against Women. The bill was eventually gazetted
on the 6 th of May 2003. 
The presentation of the Bill to the National Assembly on the 8.3. 2004 marked the Organisers’ decision to act collectively, from within civil society, to further the following goals:
- To prohibit all forms of violence against women
- To prevent all forms of violence against women
- To protect women from all forms of violence against women
- To provide redress for women and girls who have been abused.
Existing legislative initiatives against gender violence include State laws on particular forms of violence against women, such as female circumcision and harmful traditional practices. However, there is currently no national legislation that is comprehensive in its coverage of forms of violence against women.