Women’s Rights Advancement and
Protection Alternative (WRAPA)
Nigeria
wrapa993@yahoo.com
info@wrapanigeria.org
Background & Objectives
Founded in 1999 by Nigeria’s former First Lady Hon. Justice
F.L. Abubakar (LLD)
Objectives
 To highlight and influence redress for the gross
cultural/legal challenges faced by women in Nigeria.
 To enhance women’s access to justice.
 To provide legal representation for women in line with
their constitutional rights.
 To advocate for legal reforms & cultural shifts to entrench
recognition & respect for women’s human rights at all
levels.
Structure

A Board of Trustees is the apex decision-making body of
the organization.

A national Secretariat in Abuja.

A network of male and female volunteers in all the 36
states and the FCT supports our operations.

6 Zonal Offices supporting the state coordinators.

16,000 registered members of WRAPA women, men and
youths all over Nigeria working at group and individual
levels to propagate our ideals.
Funding
 Membership
fees & dues.
 Donations.
 Grant
support from individuals
corporate organizations and
international agencies.
 Investments.
 Volunteer services &
 Subsidized charges for some services
by WRAPA.
Activities
•
Legal aid and counseling services
women.
•
Mobilization and sensitization.
•
Skills training.
•
Advocacy for legal reforms.
•
Work around VAW
•
Work around increased Women’s
Political participation
for
Advocacy for International Law
In the lead in the
campaign for the
ratification and
domestication of
international statutes
(CEDAW, African
Union Protocol on
Women’s Rights) in
collaboration with
Nigeria’s gender
machinery and
women groups.
The clientele for WRAPA legal aid
services are primarily women and their
families.
+VE results of our interventions are
based on:

- a growing expertise for legal aid
 - prompt and accessible services
 - acceptable methodology
 - principles of fair hearing
Achievements

Established credibility, trust and support for our
mandate at community and government levels.

Developed expertise and demand for our services.

Secured the support of a network of focal persons,
members, and various stakeholders for delivery of legal
aid & counselling services, adult literacy & campaigns
for equal opportunities for women.

Successfully defended litigation & appeals on behalf of
women seeking enforcement or redress in violation of
their rights in private & public spheres. (High profile
cases (Safiya Hussaini, (Sokoto) Amina Lawal
(Katsina), Maryam Maigwanjo (Katsina) and Ene
Bernard (Benue)
OUR WORK
Interventions by WRAPA
1. Islamic Family Law and Practices in North Western
Nigeria Supported by MacArthur Foundation
(Documentation and intervention Strategies 2006 -2008)
Objectives:
• To enhance the practice and application of Islamic Family
Law
• To document existing practices and establish discourse on
critical issues of Islamic Family Law
2. Codification of Islamic Family Law
3. Strategic Litigation for women convicted or seeking to
enforce rights under Shari’a.
4. Public Education on Women’s Rights under Shari’a
5. Dialogue with Religious Leaders and institutions of Shari’a
implementation.
Sensitization & Advocacy for Legal Reforms in Nigeria
2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)
64.5 percent of women and 61.3 percent of men agree that a
husband was justified in hitting or beating his wife for at least
one of six specified reasons including failure to prepare food in
‘good’ time.