As the world commemorates International Women’s Day 2026 under the global theme “Give to Gain,” the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) calls on governments, institutions, communities, and individuals to make intentional investments in women and girls as a pathway to shared prosperity, justice, and sustainable development.
At WRAPA, we believe that when we give women protection, opportunity, voice, and resources, society gains resilience, innovation, peace, and inclusive growth. This year, our campaign, “Power in Her Hands – Strengthening Women’s Access to Protection and Opportunity,” highlights the urgent need to dismantle structural barriers that prevent women from living free from violence and from fully participating in political, economic, and social life.
Across Nigeria, women continue to face gender-based violence, economic exclusion, political marginalization, and limited access to justice. Although progressive legal and policy frameworks exist, including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the National Gender Policy, significant gaps in implementation remain. Giving in this context means strengthening survivor-centered protection systems, expanding women’s access to justice, ensuring economic empowerment opportunities, and creating inclusive spaces for leadership and decision-making.
Power in her hands means ensuring that women have the tools, resources, and institutional support necessary to protect themselves, build sustainable livelihoods, and influence the decisions that shape their communities. It requires increased funding for prevention and response to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), gender-responsive budgeting, access to credit and digital opportunities, and deliberate inclusion of women and marginalized groups in governance processes.
As an organization committed to Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI), WRAPA emphasizes that empowering women is not a women-only agenda; it is a societal responsibility. The government must enforce protective laws and strengthen accountability mechanisms. The private sector must expand economic pathways for women. Civil society and the media must continue to amplify women’s voices. Communities and families must promote positive norms that uphold dignity, equality, and shared responsibility.
WRAPA remains steadfast in advancing policies, strengthening community platforms, and building partnerships that ensure women have both protection and opportunity. Through advocacy, community engagement, capacity building, and strategic collaboration, we will continue working to place power where it belongs, in her hands.
This International Women’s Day, we call on all stakeholders to move beyond statements and commit to measurable actions. When we give women the protection and opportunity they deserve, we all gain.
