ABOUT WAWORC:
WAWORC stands for West African Women's Rights Coalition. It is a regional non-governmental, non-profit making organization formed at the two day consultative meeting of West African women groups held at Banjul, the Gambia between 8 th and 9 th May, 2006. The network was formed by 15 Women's groups from 7 West African Countries (Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone) to promote and advocate for the rights of women in the West African Sub Region using the African Union mechanisms, in particular the African Commission and ECOWAS. The impetus for this coalition is borne out of the increasing violations of women's human rights in the West African sub region particularly caused by customary or religious laws and practices which given the shared commonalties of the sub region will require cross border activism to share experiences and strategies for combating women's rights violations. The coalition aims to consult and explore the possibility of building strong women's coalition and networks in West Africa to engage in social and legislative advocacy for implementation of International and regional treaties protecting human rights of women in the West African sub region.
It seeks to kick start the process of building a viable women's network that will respond to issues of concern to women within the ECOWAS state. The network provides the much - needed space for open dialogue and articulation of ideas by women's rights focused organizations in West Africa for action in implementation of the African Charter and the protocol on women's rights which is even more pertinent in view of the slow pace of ratification by West African countries.
OUR VISION: A West African Sub-region that promotes respect and enforces full and equal rights of women in all spheres.
OUR MISSION: To promote accountability on regional and international instruments on women's rights using regional mechanisms.
PRIMARY TARGETS: Women and Women groups in West Africa
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
• To ensure the effective implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa and other ECOWAS Declaration that promotes equality of women, good governance, the Rule Of Law and Human Rights.
• Facilitate access of women's groups in the sub region to engage with the regional/ institutional mechanisms to promote and protect women's rights
• To build capacity of women and organizations on gender mainstreaming in policies and programming of governments in the sub region including Cameroon
• To engage in social and legislative advocacy on the women's rights and act as a lobby group for women's issue at the regional and international level
• To engage with the justice sector on gender and the law in the sub region.
• Engaging in constructive dialogue with AU, African Commission, ECOWAS and other sub regional structures
• Collaborate and work with UN and other International Agencies committed to gender equality and women's empowerment
• Engage in advocacy to increase visibility of women in the sub region
• To use the regional instruments and mechanisms to promote and protect women's rights
• To carry out gender sensitive research/ information storing with a view to improving the status of women in the sub region
• To maintain a data bank on the laws and policies affecting women
• Mobilise resources towards the realization of the goals and mission
NETWORKING: WAWORC networks with women groups and NGOs who share her ideology. It comprises the following:
• African Women's Lawyers Association, (AWLA), Accra, Ghana
• BAFROW, the Gambia
• FAMEDEV, Senegal
• Federation of Muslim Women's Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Nigeria
• FEMNET, MALI
• FIDA, Cameroon
• FIDA, Ghana
• GAMCOTRAP, the Gambia
• National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Enugu, Nigeria
• Legal Access for Women Yearning for Equality, Rights and Social Justice, Sierra Leone
• Society for Women and Aids, Sierra Leone
• Women's Aid Collective, (WACOL) Abuja, Nigeria
• Women's Right Advocates, Research and Documentation Center, (WARDC) Lagos Nigeria
• Women Lawyers, the Gambia
Support West African Women's Cause by supporting WAWORC!
To Subscribe, Sponsor or Join WAWORC, email
waworc@yahoogroups.com or Visit:
The Administrative Headquarters:
Women's Aid Collective (WACOL)
8 Kontagora Close
Off Jos Street, Area 3, Garki
Abuja
Tel: 234-9-6711044, 234-9-2340647
E-mail : wacolabuja@wacolnigeria.org
Website: www.wacolnigeria.org ? waworc
