WACOL History

The Journey of WACOL

Women Aid Collective (WACOL) was founded in 1997 as a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of women, young people, and the most vulnerable across Nigeria. Through legal aid, advocacy, research, education, and direct support, WACOL has grown into one of Africa’s leading voices for gender justice. Over the years, WACOL established the renowned Tamar Sexual Assault Referral Centre, providing comprehensive services to survivors of rape, domestic violence, and harmful cultural practices. WACOL has influenced national and international policies, supported thousands of survivors with free legal services, shelter, and rehabilitation, and empowered communities with life-changing training and support systems. Today, WACOL remains dedicated to building a safer, fairer, more democratic society where the rights of all people—especially women and girls—are upheld in both law and practice.

The Journey of WACOL

WACOL has established itself as a credible and committed organization whose work is well recognized beyond the shores of Nigeria. It has since 2001 an observer status with the African Union, African commission on human rights, and being also an NGO Special Consultative Status with the United Nations approved in 2010 by ECOSOC. WACOL is a formidable organization that can now boast of institutional capacity for sustainable work in the field of advancing human rights, gender equality, democracy and good governance.

Key Outcomes

WACOL deploys the media and new technologies to promote awareness on human rights, gender equality and violence against women and girls (VAWG)/SGBV. Specifically, on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), it has undertaken a number of actions in the last twenty years, including research, advocacy, legal aid and assistance to victims/survivors of human trafficking, shelter, public education and awareness of the ugly phenomenon of SGBV to break in particular the culture of silence and impunity surrounding SGBV. WACOL has contributed to the passage of laws protecting women, girls and persons with disability from violence. Notably, it advocated and got the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law of Enugu State passed in 2019. WACOL was also part of an advocacy and network of gender-focused organizations that also worked on and succeeded in getting the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015 passed by the National Assembly and subsequently signed into law by then President Goodluck Jonathan.

WACOL Networks

WACOL is a member of many coalitions, including being a foundation member of LACVAW, Gender Technical Unit (GTU), Gender and Constitutional Advocacy Network (GECORN) and the Network of Sexual Assault Referral Centres. WACOL pioneered and still coordinates the following networks with the WACOL office serving as Secretariat: Victims Support Club (VISUC); Survivors Watch, Widows Economic Empowerment programme (WEEP- Not); Nigerian NGO CEDAW Coalition, South East Women’s Network; West African Women’s Rights Coalition (WAWORC); Network for Women Living Under Religious and Customary Laws (NPWRIS); South East Human Rights Situation Room, Partners for Peace Advocacy and Good Governance; Media against Sexual Violence, Male champions for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Movement (GEM). The WACOL founder/ED, a Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Prof. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo (OON) serves as the Chairperson of the National Network of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC Network) with the Rule of Law and Anti- Corruption (RoLAC) Programme of the British Council as Secretariat. She is also the National Coordinator of GECORN, the Convener of Human Rights Situation Room. WACOL ED has formally served globally as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking (2008-2014), Member, Board of Trustees of Victims of Trafficking Fund (2013-2016) representing Africa. She’s currently on the UN Secretary General’s Civil Society Advisory Board on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (2019-2021).

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The Journey of WACOL

The Journey of WACOL

Key Outcomes

WACOL Networks

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