On the African widows summit 2024

BY HOPE NWAKWESI

Widowhood remains an intricate and widespread issue across Africa, affecting millions of vulnerable women who grapple with harmful practices, discrimination, economic hardships, denial of property rights and exclusion in statistics and planning.

Particularly alarming is the denial of land inheritance, a critical factor perpetuating a cycle of poverty for widows. Initiatives like the Kilimanjaro Initiative and the Nigeria Widows Protection Bill, among others, are geared toward dismantling these systemic challenges.

The African Widows Summit (TAWS), scheduled for June 21-23, 2024 in Zanzibar, Tanzania is a premier three-day conference that aims to address the critical issue of widowhood across the African continent and provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations on the widow’s agenda in the African Union.

Research has shown that in different countries of Africa, widows are discriminated against through customary inheritance laws and policy planning. However, with the union of African Widows through TAWS, the Almanah Hope Foundation seeks to challenge these discriminatory and exclusion practices. African countries have been identified as countries where widows are known to have no peace countries as Angola, Botswana, the Republic of Congo, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The denial of land inheritance with no definite inclusion of Widows in planning, allocation and implementation emerges as a crucial factor in perpetuating widows’ vulnerability. Definition and inclusion of widows in government departments with policies and allocations, progressive and comprehensive land rights and replication of best practices will play a pivotal role in breaking the cycle of poverty for widows and improving not only their lives but also those of their families and communities.

When widows have secure land rights, spending on children’s education, land production and household nutrition increases, addressing deeply gendered issues such as climate change, food security and global health.

To tackle these challenges, various initiatives and legal frameworks have been proposed, including the Kilimanjaro Initiative and the Nigeria Widows Protection Bill, 2023. The Kilimanjaro Initiative, a pan-African and women-led campaign, aims to complement the vision outlined in the AU’s Agenda 2063 by creating space for rural women to participate in decision-making processes about their land rights. In 2016, the initiative issued the Kilimanjaro Charter of Demands for actualizing rural widows’ land rights. Unfortunately in all these, widows are visibly missing.

In 2020, the Almanah Hope Foundation in Nigeria initiated the Nigerian Widows Protection Bill, a structured legal framework targeted at widows’ protection. Through the House of Representatives, the bill was passed in February 2023 by the 9th Assembly and sent to the Senate for concurrence.

The synergistic interaction and relationship are needed to achieve the “Africa we want” for the African women in widowhood, hence TAWS is set to reform the African space for women in widowhood. It intends to bring together a distinguished and diverse assembly of participants, including widows, women and men advocates from across the African, African Union, esteemed country leaders and representatives, officials from UN Women and UN Women Africa, women and gender department ministers, first ladies of nations, visionary founders and CEOs of NGOs dedicated to the welfare of widows, representatives from international and local bodies, legislators, members of the media and respected figures from the judiciary.

Objectives of TAWS include deepening understanding of widows’ policy development, implementation and monitoring, improving access to knowledge and information related to widows’ rights, policy-making, showcasing promising practices on widows’ rights and in the field of land policy and governance, and facilitating networking among widows’ rights actors in Africa.

TAWS, in line with the Union of African Widows’ objectives, also aims to advance the inclusion and participation of widows and widows agenda in relevant government structures, as the African Union conferences, member states gender departments, policy and allocation; enhance the integration of actions to address the challenges faced by widows across the African continent, promote the sharing and implementation of best cultures and practices that enhance widows’ rights and protection within the continent and improve cooperation and coordination with stakeholders and gatekeepers across Africa.

In company with other delegates, I visited the government of Zanzibar on December 19 2023. The Revolutionary government of Zanzibar President, His Excellency, Hon. Dr. Hussein Mwinyi, had also agreed to host and officiate the summit involving high-level plenary sessions, thematic workshops, policy formulation discussions, networking opportunities and cultural exchanges, focusing on key areas such as widow’s rights, protection, empowerment and inclusion.

In the forefront of empowering widows and pioneering impactful change in Nigeria is the Almanah Hope Foundation, its commitment to uplifting widows clearly evident in its initiation of The African Widows Summit (TAWS) and the Union of African Widows.

Following the successful conclusion of TAWS, expected outcomes will include comprehensive recommendations submitted to the African Union, policy guidelines and frameworks for AU member states to address widowhood-related challenges, strengthened partnerships and collaborations among widows’ representatives, NGOs, policymakers, international bodies, first ladies, and gatekeepers, and a best practices handbook supporting and enhancing widows’ rights and protection.

In essence, TAWS stands as a transformative initiative, addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by widows in Africa. As the summit unfolds, it not only promises substantive discussions but also tangible outcomes that can make a lasting and positive difference in the lives of widows across the continent.

Nwakwesi is the founder of Almanah Hope Foundation in Nigeria