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WOMEN IN LAW AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA (WiLDAF)

WiLDAF is a pan-African network of organizations and individuals dedicated to promoting a culture of exercising and respecting women’s rights in Africa. WILDAF/FEDDAF is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. The origins of Women in Law and Development in Africa / Femmes, Droit et Développement en Afrique (WILDAF/FEDDAF) date back to the NGO Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1985. To mark the end of the United Nations Decade for Women, women activists attending the forum came together and committed to creating a network for African women’s rights.

HOW LONG HAS THE NETWORK EXISTED?

The network was created at a regional conference held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in February 1990, with the theme ” Women, Law and Development: A Network for Empowerment in Africa.” It was officially established in 1990 after a year-long process of analysis, needs identification, training, and planning to strengthen local programs and coordination. It became operational a year later and established its headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe.

WILDAF/FEDDAF eventually gained recognition as a regional body for women’s rights. It was the African organization coordinating the campaign for the recognition of women’s human rights at the meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993.

WILDAF/FEDDAF was the focal point for human rights at the African preparatory conference in Dakar in 1994 and the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. It was the regional network of women’s NGOs involved in the launch in Burkina Faso in 1996 of the campaign against impunity in Africa. It is a recipient of the Organizations Award awarded by the International Human Rights Group in Washington in 1996. The Economic Commission for Africa and the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa have identified WILDAF/FEDDAF as a partner for the implementation of programs in Africa

WiLDAF/WiLDAF/FeDDAF IN WEST AFRICA

To better serve members and maintain excellent communication between all, autonomous sub-regional coordinations have been created, including the West African Coordination.

WiLDAF-AO (Women In Law and Development – West Africa) is a sub-regional network of organizations working on several aspects of women’s rights issues. The headquarters of the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa (WiLDAF-BSRAO) has been based in Lomé, Togo, since April 1997.

WiLDAF-AO currently serves as the regional secretariat.

1997

Creation of Women in Law and Development in Africa-West Africa ( WILDAF-AO ) based in Lomé, Togo. Its mandate is to boost the network in the sub-region. It began its activities upon its creation. The network is present in 11 West African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Togo and Ivory Coast and plans to expand to Cape Verde, Gambia, Mauritania and Sierra Leone where it works with 4 focal points.

1997: Training program for trainers in legal education and legal assistance to women in Guinea and Sierra Leone

1999

Capacity building program for national women’s rights networks to contribute to the implementation of women’s human rights.

1999 to date: Activities around the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (advocacy for the adoption, ratification and implementation of the Protocol)

1999 to 2001

Implementation of capacity building programs for women’s rights organizations

2002 to 2004

Implementation of capacity building programs for judicial and extrajudicial actors involved in the implementation of women’s rights

2006

Implementation of a sub-regional program on “Good governance and women’s participation in decision-making”

2007

Obtaining the program agreement renewable every 3 years

2007: Celebration of 10 years of existence

Creation of the legal aid center at the central market in Lomé

2009

Obtaining headquarters agreement

2009 to date: program to promote the economic, political and social empowerment of women in rural areas, traders, women in the extractive industry, etc.

2011

Transfer of the regional headquarters initially in Harare (Zimbabwe) to Lomé in Togo

2012

participation in the “Cultuvons” campaign in West Africa

Obtaining ISO quality certificate version ISO 9001:2008

2013

Inauguration of the WiLDAF-AO headquarters

2016 to date

Participation in the “Kilimanjaro Initiative in Africa” with the ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro in October 2016 in Tanzania.

implementation of a program to combat child marriage in West Africa

2019

Implementation of a program to promote and protect the Health and Sexual and Reproductive Rights of women and girls

2021

Participation in the program to combat inequalities in the Sahel

WILDAF – AO is a broad pan-African network of women's rights non-governmental organizations and individuals established in 1990 with headquarters in Lomé, Togo.

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