WAPA HOLDS MEDIA PARLEY TO MARK 2026 INTERNATIONAL WIDOWS’ DAY IN LAGOS
Read Time:3 Minute, 18 Second
By: Balogun Ibrahim
The Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) has held a media parley as part of activities to commemorate the 2026 International Widows’ Day, with a renewed call for greater support, protection, and empowerment of widows across the state.
The media engagement, which was held in the WAPA Conference Room, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, brought together journalists, and stakeholders, provided an opportunity for the Ministry to highlight the challenges confronting widows and the various interventions being implemented by the Lagos State Government to improve their welfare and economic well-being.
The parley focused attention on the need to address the social and economic difficulties faced by widows, including poverty, discrimination, lack of access to employment opportunities, inadequate financial resources and challenges associated with caring for their families.
Speaking during the event, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. (Mrs.) Bolaji Cecilia Dada emphasised on the commitment of Lagos State Government in ensuring that widows are not left vulnerable following the loss of their spouses. In her words, “The theme, Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows, captures the three areas that are critical to improving the lives of widows. It reminds us that support for widows must go beyond sympathy. It must include access to jistice, protection from discrimination and harmful practices, as well as opportunities that enable them to become economically independent.”
It noted that widowhood often comes with significant economic and social responsibilities, particularly for women who are left to cater for children and other dependants without adequate means of livelihood.
The Ministry stressed that empowering widows economically remains an important step towards enabling them to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the development of their families and communities.
According to Dada, WAPA programmes are designed to provide vulnerable women, including widows, with opportunities for skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development and access to support that can help improve their standard of living.
The media parley also provided a platform to create greater public awareness about the rights and welfare of widows, while encouraging members of the public, private organisations and other stakeholders to support initiatives aimed at improving their quality of life.
The Commissioner reiterated that widows should be treated with dignity and respect and should not be subjected to harmful traditional practices, discrimination or any form of abuse because of their marital status.
The Ministry further underscored the importance of creating an enabling environment where widows can access education, healthcare, economic opportunities and other essential social services.
She explained that sustained collaboration between government agencies, civil society organisations, community leaders, the media and other stakeholders would be crucial in addressing the challenges confronting widows.
The media, in particular, was encouraged to continue to use its platforms to amplify the voices of widows, promote awareness of their rights and highlight government and private-sector interventions targeted at improving their welfare.
The event also featured interactions between journalists and officials of the Ministry, with questions centred on the welfare of widows, poverty alleviation initiatives, skills acquisition, economic empowerment and measures to protect vulnerable women across Lagos.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening interventions targeted at women and vulnerable groups, stressing that the welfare and empowerment of widows remain part of the broader agenda of promoting inclusive development in Lagos State.
The commemoration of International Widows’ Day 2026 therefore served not only as an opportunity to recognise the resilience and contributions of widows but also as a platform to draw attention to the need for sustained policies and programmes that can help them overcome economic and social barriers.
WAPA called for collective action to ensure that widows are empowered to rebuild their lives, support their families and participate fully in the socio-economic development of Lagos State.
The Ministry maintained that through continued government intervention, public awareness and stakeholder collaboration, more widows can be supported to achieve financial independence and live with dignity.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0