The Rose of Sharon Foundation has called on the Nigerian government and parliamentarians to enact a comprehensive national law specifically addressing widowhood rights, describing current legal protections as inadequate.
Country Manager of the foundation, Dr Ndudi Bowei, made the call during the organisation’s Widowhood Rights Programme held at Ikorodu Central Local Government Area, Lagos State.
“We want a specific national law enacted that covers widows and takes care of all their issues across Nigeria,” Dr. Bowei said, noting that the current Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of 2015 provides only limited protection under Section 15.
The foundation, which operates across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones with headquarters in Lagos, currently supports over 1,000 widows and 7,000 orphans nationwide through various intervention programmes, including microfinance, skills training, and educational scholarships.
Speaking at the stakeholder engagement, Dr Bowei highlighted persistent cultural discrimination against widows, citing findings from the foundation’s 2025 research on widowhood rights in Nigeria.
“When a woman loses her husband, the first thing you hear from the local people is, ‘Ah, she must have killed him,’ and they make her go through some very dangerous practices that are inhumane,” she said, adding that while some harmful practices have been eroded, the majority continue.
Dr Bowei emphasised that the foundation’s focus on women reflects the gender disparity in how society treats loss, noting that widowers typically receive community support while widows face suspicion and maltreatment.
The organisation, she said, provides comprehensive support, including financial assistance, skills training, educational scholarships from primary to university level, and legal advocacy for widows and their children across Nigeria.
According to her, the foundation’s research reveals that widows face systematic discrimination, including housing denial by landlords, cultural stigmatisation, and dangerous traditional rituals.
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), represented by Olubola Afolabi, who was a speaker at the programme, outlined constitutional rights available to widows, including inheritance rights, custody of children, and protection against discriminatory practices.
“Widowhood should never be a death sentence. It should never be humiliation,” Afolabi said, announcing that FIDA provides free legal services to widows every Thursday at 10 a.m. at its Lagos office.
The house leader of the Ikorodu Local Government legislative arm, Shotomiwa Wasiu, represented by Shafiu Adeniyi, announced several widow support initiatives, including budget allocations for financial assistance, skills acquisition programmes, healthcare access, and policy reforms.
“Our administration recognises the important role that women play in our society, and we need to provide them with the support they deserve,” Adeniyi stated.
Two widows who testified at the event shared how the foundation’s intervention transformed their lives. A woman, who lost her husband 10 years ago, said the foundation paid her three children’s school fees from secondary school through university and provided business capital for her.
Another widow, whose youngest child is now a serving youth corps member, said the foundation provided interest-free business loans and paid her house rent after her husband’s death.
