The Rose of Sharon Foundation has called for stronger action by local governments and community stakeholders to translate advocacy on widows’ rights into concrete support for women facing abuse, dispossession and other rights violations.

They made the call at a Widowhood Rights Stakeholders’ Engagement organised by the foundation in Lagos, where stakeholders discussed ways to improve the treatment and protection of widows.

Coordinator of the Foundation, Oloruntosin Taiwo, said the foundation had established a referral and feedback system with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to monitor cases involving widows who require legal assistance.

She said the partnership had produced tangible results, with FIDA providing legal representation to some women and assisting them in pursuing cases involving their rights and property.
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“For FIDA, they’ve been quite supportive. Actually, the initiative has given birth to a lot of justice, because they’ve been able to support some of the women that have legal cases at no cost,” she said.
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According to her, the foundation receives feedback from both the women referred for assistance and the organisations handling their cases, enabling it to track the progress of the interventions.

However, Oloruntosin said the foundation was yet to identify specific interventions provided by local governments and communities to widows as a direct result of its advocacy, despite receiving promises and pledges from stakeholders.
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“But, for stakeholders at the local government and at the community level, we cannot say that specifically,” she said.

She expressed hope that continued engagement would lead to the fulfilment of the commitments made by grassroots stakeholders.

Also speaking, a member of FIDA, Olubola Afolabi, said some widows who report violations often struggle to pursue their cases to conclusion because legal processes can take time and require repeated follow-up.

‎Afolabi said some women became intimidated during the process and stopped pursuing their complaints, while financial constraints could also prevent others from obtaining justice.

‎Afolabi also urged local-government and community stakeholders to ensure that widows who report rights violations are directed to the appropriate authorities for assistance.
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A principal of Lagos Progressive Senior High School at Surulere, Olaniyan Arinola, said education stakeholders could support widows whose children face difficulties in accessing education.
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Arinola encouraged widows with children in public schools to seek assistance when they encounter challenges, while calling for greater attention to healthcare needs.