1. Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) Nigeria wrapa993@yahoo.com info@wrapanigeria.org

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Funding   Membership fees & dues.   Donations.   Grant support from individuals corporate organizations and international agencies.   Investments.   Volunteer services &   Subsidized charges for some services by WRAPA.

5. Legal aid and counseling services for women. Mobilization and sensitization. Skills training. Advocacy for legal reforms. Work around VAW Work around increased Women’s Political participation Activities

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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)

9. OUR WORK

10. 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.

11. Sensitization & Advocacy for Legal Reforms in Nigeria

12. 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.