As the world marked International Widows Day on Monday, June 24, 2025, Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) stood in solidarity with widows across Nigeria—many of whom continue to face overwhelming hardship, often in silence.
To mark the occasion, WELA organised a compassionate outreach programme in Agege, Lagos State, where food items were distributed to widows from the local community and neighbouring areas. The initiative was a direct response to the worsening economic conditions affecting many Nigerians—conditions that weigh even more heavily on widows who are often left to fend for themselves and their children with little or no support.
The food packages were prepared with care and distributed in an atmosphere of empathy and dignity. Some of the women travelled from as far as Ikorodu, underscoring the depth of need and the limited avenues of assistance available to many widows today.
“In Nigeria, it is already difficult for many women to survive and thrive in a society that still places disproportionate burdens on them,” said Funmi Falana, SAN, Founder and Chairperson of WELA. “But for widows—especially those raising young children or those who are elderly—the situation is even more precarious. Too often, they are forgotten, left alone to carry the weight of grief, responsibility, and survival.”
The outreach was not merely an act of charity, but a reflection of WELA’s enduring commitment to justice, dignity, and empowerment for all women—particularly those who are marginalised, vulnerable, or neglected by societal systems.
International Widows Day, observed annually on June 23, highlights the injustice, discrimination, and economic exclusion widows face around the world. In Nigeria, many widows are stripped of property and inheritance rights, subjected to harmful cultural practices, or driven into poverty after the death of their husbands. Left without support, many are forced to navigate single parenthood, debt, and isolation alone.
At WELA, we believe widows deserve more than sympathy. They deserve recognition, protection, and inclusion. Our efforts continue beyond symbolic dates—through legal aid, vocational training, empowerment programmes, and community-based support aimed at helping widows rebuild their lives and reclaim their dignity.
The women we met in Agege remind us that behind every statistic is a human story—of strength, struggle, and survival. Their resilience inspires our continued advocacy for a society where no widow is abandoned, and no woman is left behind.