The Women, Law and Development Centre, Nigeria (WLDCN) is a non-governmental, non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-profit making organization limited by guarantee Registration No. RC 276412 (1995). It was initiated primarily to fill a perceived gap for a small research and training women’s Center focused on the empowerment of women to make them agents of change on their own behalf.

WLDCN’s main office is located at 1, Fadeyi Street Off Obafemi  Awolowo  Way   Ikeja, Lagos. Telephone No. 08033060133, E-mail: wldcnng@yahoo.com.

WLDCN sees the empowerment of women as a total development process and therefore its training and advocacy programmes emphasize capacity building of the individual woman and women’s group, whilst its research focuses on issues which are constituting obstacles to women’s self-development/enhancement and the development of the girl child.

WLDCN’s initial focus on women’s political, economic, legal and educational empowerment has expanded over the years to include study and research in population change/growth and women reproductive rights and health especially in the areas of STDS and HIV/AIDS. The Center has focused on creating awareness rights, sensitization and advocacy for law and policy reforms pertaining to women and children.

Recently, following the demise of Professor Jadesola Akande the founding Executive Director, a yearly Interactive Forum for Constitutional review and Good Governance was instituted and now running under the aegies of ‘Jadesola Akande Interactive Forum (JAIF) Advisory Committee. The six member committee is coordinated by Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, a professor of law, University of Lagos and board member of WLDCN.

The Center’s “Stepping Out” programme for young people especially the girl child is designed to train awareness, rights and coping strategies on STDS, HIV/AIDS and related issues especially amongst people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

WLDCN has completed series of workshops, seminars and training programmes on Democracy and Governance – which comprise Leadership, Management and Good Governance, Gender Violence and Conflict Resolution, Internal Democracy, Mentoring and Networking, Democracy through Education of Women and Community Leaders  Education for Democracy, Curriculum Development and Lobbying Skills, Policy Support Programmes for Female Parliamentarians. Others include Gender Analysis of the Budget, Poverty Alleviation Programmes, Reproductive Health Programmes and Legal Rights Issues and Community involvement in the reduction of HIV/AIDS.

WLDCN has produced a human development report on Nigeria women, which has been published by UNDP, a synthesized booklet on the “Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action” which was translated into three minority languages – Pidgin, Edo and Fulfulde, Democratization of the Gains of Beijing, a project supported by the Canadian Fund for Civil Society and Fredrich Ebert Foundation Lagos, Women and Housing, Women and Taxation. Others include a Curriculum on Human Rights and Rule of Law development with inputs from the Judicial Institute, the Law School. Human Rights NGOs, the Nigerians Bar Association FIDA and the Law Enforcement Agencies, an “A Frame” Model of National  Advocacy for Legal Reform with inputs from 6 Law Association partners in the six geo-political zones of the country and other law based and Human Rights NGOs, Constitution Made Easy. A Practical Guide on the Convention for Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a Comprehensive Research report on Women’s Reproductive Rights and Customary Laws. Also completed a research report on Community Conflicts and Gender Issues in Nigeria – a research project supported by the Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD).. The Center is currently focused on training and advocacy progranmmes against stigmatization of people especially women and children living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

With support from Nigerian Breweries Plc. The Center produced a 39 Episodes Radio Drama Series in Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa languages on Improving the Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases through Effective Communication with Rural Populace especially Youth and Women illiterates. The series went on air on Radio Nigeria from first week in December 2005 for two quarters. It is currently being updated to take into account global development in the country.

WLDCN has written several training manuals on Gender and Violence, Leadership, Management and Conflict Resolution, Lobbying Skills, Democracy through Education of Women, Civic Education for Women, Parliamentary Advocacy Watch and working Documents on Gender Analysis of the Budget, Poverty Alleviation and Strategies to assist women and Constitutional Reform. The Center, with support from USA Public Affairs Section and CEDPA developed and published a Simplified Version of the Nigerian Constitution (1999) designed for grassroots and mass awareness. Currently, the Center is working on the demystification of the Nigerian Constitution and the Child Rights Law as training manual for young people on their constitutional rights, to also create awareness on Child Rights laws to reduce the incidences of child abuse and to impart knowledge of the Constitution to everyone.

With support of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) WLDCN conducted a series of TOT workshops for professional women for their enhanced participation in politics and governance. It also attempted to bridge the mutual suspicion between the professional women and the grassroots/market traders in politics. Voter Education programmes were also organized in 2003 and 2007 elections with the support of Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) respectively. For the 2011 national elections, WLDCN with support of UN-Women undertook extensive advocacy to major democratic institutions, including political parties executives, traditional institutions, business and professional bodies, for more women participation in politics.

WLDCN has produced television series on Women’s Rights and free Legal Services. It has also produced Drama, Radio and Television jingles on Voters Education and Women participation in Politics.

With support from corporate bodies, WLDCN initiated a pilot Outreach program with focus on Gender Violence in selected Local Governments and LCDAs in Lagos State (Epe, Ikorodu, Badagry and Amuwo Odofin). In continuation of her advocacy on violence against women, WLDCN in October 2014 collaborated with Lagos State Gender Advocacy Team (LASGAT) 1 Week of Action on creating awareness and better implementation of Lagos Domestic Violence Law (2007), by mounting a ‘motorised advocacy’ campaign  in Onigbongbo LCDA and its environs.

WLDCN projects are implemented by a core of experienced experts in our areas of focus including the Media/Communications, Research (PRA/Needs Assessment) Social Health (HIV/AIDS, STDS) and Population. The day-to-day work is coordinated by Dr. Keziah Awosika, Development Economist, She succeeds late Professor Jadesola Akande (Professor of Law) as the Executive Director.

WLDCN publishes Gender-Views Quarterly Newsletter. It also collaborates and networks with NGOs/CBOs working in its areas of focus, the Coalition of Civil Societies Organizations Lagos State (LACSOP) and its offshoot, the Lagos State Gender Advocacy Team (LASGAT), the Civil Society Action Committee on Education for ALL (CSACEFA), Gender and Constitutional Reform Network (GECORN). WLDCN network with Orderly Society Trust in the area of making Governance work through active participation in the ‘House of Citizens Projects Onigbogbo LCDA’. The organization is also the Managing Agent for the Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD) Nigeria Chapter.

VISION and MISSION OF THE CENTRE

The achievement of a level playing field for women to participate actively and effectively in decision-making at all level in private and public domain.

To ensure the total empowerment of women to have the self esteem to actualize their rights in all sphere of society and thus become agents of change on their own behalf.

OBJECTIVES

• To mobilise sensitize and empower women to actualise their rights and potentials.
• To undertake advocacy for the development of women
• To promote gender-sensitive governance at all levels in private and public institutions
• To ensure that women acquire adequate knowledge of issues which constitutes constraints to the improvement of their status and design effective strategies to combat them.
• To raise self- confidence of women to become agents of change on their own behalf.

List of our Donors/Funders

• CANADA FUND FOR CIVIL SOCIETY
• JOHN D & CATHERINE T MACARTHUR FOUNDATION
• USAID/OTI
• FRIEDRICH EBERT FOUNDATION
• JHU/CCP
• USIS/PAS
• CEDPA
• UNEAD/TMG
• NCSC(National Centre For State Courts )
• OSIWA
• UNWOMEN
• UNDP
• BRITISH COUNCIL
• LAGOS STATE MIN. OF WOMEN AFFAIRS AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION(WAPA)
• MIN. OF WOMEN AFFAIRS AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
• MORTGAGE FINANCE/FED. MIN.OF WORKS & HOUSING
• THE NIG. BREWERIES LTD
• MTN FOUNDATION
• ECOWAS (MIGRATION) FUND/AAWORD/AFARD

ORGANOGRAM OF THE CENTRE