In commemoration of International Women’s Day on March 8, Her Excellency’s address as the Special Guest of Honour at the Friendraiser Community 2016 International Women’s Day event in Abuja called for increased emphasis on the construction of frameworks to perpetuate gender equality in the areas of education and employment.

Our work for the empowerment of adolescent girls was further expressed at the Girls Summit 2014 organised by the UK Government and UNICEF. WBFA committed to a renewed focus on the emancipation of girls, including the protection of girls from forced, early, and child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting.

WBFA participated in the World AIDS Rally with the theme ‘Universal access to HIV services and human rights,’ as well as a symposium on HIV/ AIDS & Youths Risky Behaviour, hosted by the National Association of Kwara State Students.

Following the horrific kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, WBFA’s advocacy on female empowerment and girl education took a global slant. Leading the global call to Bring Back Our Girls, and spearheading a media campaign to raise international awareness of the issue, H.E. Mrs Saraki fought to draw international focus to the plight of these Nigerian schoolgirls.

WBFA joined the National Orientation Agency and The Orange Foundation for Women and Children for the Eradication of Domestic Violence at the First Domestic Violence Summit, on November 23rd with the theme: ‘Do the Right Thing and Stop Domestic Violence’. The two-day summit included the presentation of papers and group discussions on domestic violence by various organisations and individuals around the country. Wellbeing Foundation Africa also participated in the Orange Walk for the Eradication of Domestic Violence.

WBF has taken to the national and global stages to advocate for women and girl’s empowerment at a number of events this year and attended:

- Universal Peace Federation’s 'Role of Women in Peace Building & Character Education'

- The Nenuco Global Resources conference where the team advocated for the elimination of domestic violence

- International Women’s Day event hosted by H.E. Patience Jonathan at the Women’s Development Centre in Abuja

- International Seminar on Women and Peace Education hosted by the Civic Enlightenment Organisation

WDF also advocated for women and child rights at the Sensitisation Campaign to Eradicate Trafficking in Persons & Child Labour in Nigeria, hosted by NAPTIP, in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). WBFA is committed to protecting the rights of women and children and will continue to work with our national and global partners to bring about the systemic change necessary to ensure improved policies and lasting impact.

WBF participated in the second annual Walk Against Rape, which helped raise awareness of rape and sexual abuse whilst reducing the public stigma against rape victims. Through the WBF 24- 7-365 Millennium Development Goal Countdown to 2015 Advocacy and Action social media campaign, WBFA is publicising the factors that have contributed to Nigeria’s unacceptably high rape levels. These factors include a weak legal framework for prosecution of sexual offenses, cultural practices, and an institutional failure to investigate and report sex crimes.

The Foundation advocated for Women’s Rights at the 3-day workshop, hosted by the African Woman Coalition against Poverty Abuse and Bad Governance.

WBFA collaborated with the anti-trafficking unit of the Nigerian police force to release four young girls who had been trafficked to Kwara State and used as prostitutes. Following their rescue, the four girls were taken to a National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) shelter in Abuja for rehabilitation and counselling.

To mark the ten-year anniversary of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), WBF joined the international community in denouncing FGM as a human rights violation as well as a form of domestic violence. WBF called upon the Nigerian House of Representatives to promptly pass the Violence Against Persons Prohibition bill and make all forms of FGM illegal.