Today, the AWLA Enugu State Chapter paid a courtesy visit to our pioneer member of AWLA, the first female SAN in the Southeast, and the first female A.G. of Enugu State, Iyom A.J. Offia, SAN, at her office, Obra Legal Chambers.
The AWLA Enugu branch was led by the state coordinator, Ngozi Enyosiobi-Abafor, Esq.; Chizoba Sandra Agbo, Esq., the vice coordinator; Dr. Ihuoma Erondu and Ifeyinwa Udegbunam, Esq. AWLA Enugu honored her remarkable contributions to the legal profession and sought her mentorship as they advanced the mandate of AWLA in Enugu State.
Iyom A.J. Offia, SAN, confirmed being among the 12 pioneer members when AWLA was established in 1997 in Nairobi, Kenya, and among members who agreed to coordinate the affairs of establishing AWLA in Nigeria. The representatives of AWLA Enugu and AWLA Nigeria Chapter were grateful to have tapped into the wealth of knowledge from Iyom A.J. Offia.
AWLA Enugu remains resolute to the aims and objectives of the fight for women and children, gender equality, and every…
AWLA – Upholding Justice. Empowering Women. Advancing the Law.
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By: Mandy Demechi-Asagba, Esq., President, African Women Lawyers Association – AWLA
Occasion: Day of the African Woman 2026
Theme: “Spotlighting Women Securing Africa’s Water Future: Advancing Sustainable Water and Sanitation for Agenda 2063”
Date: July 31, 2026
Your Excellencies,
Honorable Ministers, Commissioners
Distinguished Justices, Traditional and Religious Leaders,
Leaders of Women’s Movements, Civil Society, and the Private Sector,
My Sisters across the 55 Nations of Africa, and the African diaspora nations,
Members of the Press,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Happy Day of the African Woman!
Today we do not gather just to celebrate. We gather to spotlight.
To spotlight the woman in Borno fetching water at 5am before her children go to school.
To spotlight the woman farmer in Malawi irrigating crops with her hands during drought.
To spotlight the woman engineer in Nairobi designing boreholes.
To spotlight the woman lawyer in Lagos litigating for a community’s right to clean water.
Because this year’s theme demands it: “Spotlighting Women Securing Africa’s Water Future: Advancing Sustainable Water and Sanitation for Agenda 2063.”
- WHY WATER IS A WOMEN’S ISSUE AND A JUSTICE ISSUE
The African Union has declared 2026 the year to assure sustainable water and sanitation. This is not an accident.
Across Africa, 70% of water collection is done by women and girls. In Sub-Saharan Africa, women spend 40 billion hours a year collecting water. That is time not spent in school, in court, in boardrooms, or in parliament.
But water scarcity is no longer just about distance. It is about climate, conflict, and law.
When drought hits the Sahel, women lose farms.
When floods displace communities in East Africa, women lose homes and dignity.
When corporations pollute rivers in the Niger Delta, women lose health and livelihoods.
When there are no toilets in schools, girls drop out.
Water is life. And whoever controls water controls power.
That is why AWLA says, “If we are to secure Africa’s water future, we must secure women’s legal and political voices today.”
- THE LAW: WHERE WE STAND AND WHERE WE MUST GO
Agenda 2063 calls for “an Africa where all citizens have access to clean water.” The AU Water Vision 2025 and SDG 6 demand safe water and sanitation for all.
But law on paper is not water in the tap.
Across our continent we have 3 gaps:
- Participation Gap: Women are less than 20% of water governance boards in many countries. Yet we are the primary users and managers.
- Protection Gap: Climate displacement, water-related violence, and sanitation insecurity disproportionately affect women and girls. Our laws are slow to recognize “water rights” as human rights.
- Accountability Gap: Who do you sue when your community’s only borehole is sold to a private company? When a factory poisons your river?
This is where lawyers, judges, and women’s organizations must step in.
In Nigeria, we have used the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Constitution to litigate environmental and water rights. In Kenya, the Mitu-Bell Welfare Society v. Attorney General case affirmed the right to water as part of the right to housing and dignity. In South Africa, Mazibuko v. City of Johannesburg began the conversation on a minimum core for water.
AWLA’s role is to scale this. To turn one judgment into a continent-wide standard.
- WOMEN ARE ALREADY SECURING THE WATER FUTURE
Let us stop talking about women only as victims of water scarcity. Let us talk about women as architects of water security.
- In Ethiopia, women-led cooperatives are managing community watersheds.
- In Senegal, women are leading rainwater harvesting in schools.
- In Ghana, market women are funding sanitation toilets.
- In DRC, women peacebuilders are negotiating water access in conflict zones.
They are doing this without capital, without title deeds, and often without legal recognition.
Imagine what they could do with the law on their side.
- AWLA’S CALL TO ACTION: 4 COMMITMENTS FOR 2026-2030
Today, on the Day of the African Woman, AWLA makes 4 commitments in line with Agenda 2063:
- LEGISLATE WITH WOMEN:
We call on the AU and all Member States to ensure that every national water policy and climate law has mandatory 50% women’s representation on water boards and basin authorities. Nothing about our water without us.
- LITIGATE FOR WATER JUSTICE:
AWLA will launch a Pan-African Water Justice Legal Clinic to provide pro bono support to women and communities whose right to water and sanitation is violated. We will train 500 women lawyers as “Water Rights Advocates” by 2027.
- FINANCE WOMEN’S WATER SOLUTIONS:
We call on governments, the African Development Bank, and the private sector to direct 30% of water and sanitation funding to women-led enterprises and cooperatives. Micro-credit for boreholes, sanitation businesses, and irrigation.
- EDUCATE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION:
We will partner with schools and universities to teach girls water law, climate law, and WASH rights. Because the girl who knows her right to a toilet in school will become the woman who drafts the water law in parliament.
CONCLUSION: THE WATER IS IN OUR HANDS
My sisters, the African Union gave us this theme for a reason.
Water is the test of whether Agenda 2063 is real or rhetoric.
- If women secure water, we secure food.
- If women secure sanitation, we secure girls’ education.
- If women secure rivers and rainfall, we secure peace.
- If women secure the law, we secure the future.
The Day of the African Woman is not a day of speeches. It is a day of deeds.
So, I ask you today:
To the Legislator: Pass the water laws with women at the table.
To the Judge: Interpret the right to water as a right to dignity.
To the CEO: Invest in women who deliver water solutions.
To the mother: Teach your daughter that her voice matters in community decisions.
To my fellow lawyers: pick up a case. One community. One river. One right.
Because when we secure women, we secure Africa’s water. And when we secure Africa’s water, we secure Africa.
Better Together. Create. Empower. Prosper.
With Economic Power. With Political Voice. And now, with water justice.
Happy Day of the African Woman.
Let us go and secure our future.
Thank you.
FOOTNOTES
- UN Women, _Water and Women Report_ (2023)
- UNDP, _Human Development Report_ (2006)
- AU, _Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want_, Aspiration 1
- AU, _African Water Vision 2025_
- UN SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Art 16 & 24
- Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, s 33 & 34
- (2014) eKLR
- (2009) ZACC 28
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The African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) International Inc. has announced its highly anticipated 2026 International Conference, scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana, from November 18th to 22nd, 2026.
This year, the prestigious gathering will convene at the Palms by Eagle, Airport, Accra, Ghana, bringing together gender advocates, legal practitioners, policymakers, activists, and leaders from across the continent and the diaspora.
Empowering Africa’s Future Together
Operating under the main theme “BETTER TOGETHER,” the conference will focus on a critical and empowering sub-theme: “AWLA Beaming Her Light On: Create, Empower, Prosper Together in Africa.”
The five-day event serves as a premier platform to address legal reforms, gender equity, socio-economic development, and strategic collaboration aimed at advancing the rights and prosperity of women and communities throughout Africa.
The conference will be led and executed by a distinguished panel of legal pioneers and visionaries:
Host: Mandy Demechi-Asagba, Esq. (President, AWLA International Inc.)
Co-Host: HE Betty Mould-Iddrisu (Founder, AWLA, and Member of the Council of State, Ghana)
Chairperson: Hon. Justice Nkemdilim Izuako (rtd.) (United Nations Dispute Tribunal; Chairperson, International Conference Planning Committee, AWLA Ghana 2026)
Country Representative: Kristine Lartey Esq. (Chairperson LOC & Country Representative, AWLA Ghana)
Planning Committee Secretariat: Ziggy Mukosolu McJossy Esq. (Secretary, International Planning Committee, AWLA Ghana 2026)
Speaking on the forthcoming conference, AWLA International Inc. president Mandy said, “Africa cannot achieve Agenda 2063, the SDGs 2030, or lasting prosperity if half its population is held back by unjust laws, unequal access to justice, and systemic exclusion.
Poised for Economic Power. Political Voice.
Accelerating Women’s Leadership and Financial Independence
AWLA 2026 is not another talk shop. It is a Pan-African, solutions-driven summit convened by the African Women Lawyers Association to move decisively from policy to practice.
Over 3 transformative days, Africa’s most influential voices will gather: 500+ judges, jurists, lawyers, senior officers of the Armed Forces and civil law enforcement, policymakers, CEOs, tech innovators, traditional rulers, and civil society leaders will converge.
Our mandate is clear: dismantle systemic barriers and build the institutions, capital, and coalitions where women lead, drive economies, and safeguard justice.
This is where laws meet capital. Where authority meets action.
This is AWLA 2026.
Through 6 action-oriented plenaries, AWLA 2026 will deliver concrete deliverables: a Male Champion for Parity Pledge, a Tech-for-Justice Roadmap, and a Pan-African Policy Communiqué to the AU, ECOWAS, and the UN.
When her light shines, Africa prospers.
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Join legal professionals, policymakers, academics, and advocates from across Africa in Accra, Ghana, from 18-22 November 2026, under the theme “Better Together.”
Register early to enjoy discounted rates and gain access to all conference sessions, networking events, the AWLA Dinner, an Accra City Tour, and a certificate of participation.
Register now: https://forms.gle/34jzH9vKGT38Kxep7
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Better Together for a Stronger Africa.
The African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) International Conference 2026 is bringing together legal professionals, advocates, policymakers, and changemakers from across the continent to foster collaboration, empowerment, and sustainable progress.
Theme: Better Together—AWLA Beaming Her Light On: Create, Empower, and Prosper Together in Africa.
Date: 18th – 22nd November 2026
Venue: Palms by Eagle Airport, Accra, Ghana
This conference is more than an event; it’s a platform to connect, learn, lead, and shape the future of justice and women’s leadership in Africa.
Registration link: https://forms.gle/34jzH9vKGT38Kxep7
Save the date and join us as we create impact, empower communities, and prosper together.
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The African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), reaffirmed its commitment to ending gender-based violence through active participation in a high-level stakeholders’ meeting held on *6th July, 2026 at the National Assembly, Abuja*.
Representing the *AWLA President, Mandy Asagba, Esq.*, the *Vice Country Representative, Mariam Inuwa, Esq.* joined the event in collaboration with the *DOHS Cares for Vulnerable Women and Children Foundation*.
The engagement, hosted by *Ms. Ololade Ajayi, Chief Operating Officer of DOHS Cares Foundation* — an organization dedicated to tracking gender-related killings of women and advocating for robust policy reforms in Nigeria — convened key stakeholders including the *Clerks of the National Assembly*.
The objective of the meeting was to present the latest research findings on femicide and deliberate on the urgent need for comprehensive legislation to protect vulnerable women and children in Nigeria.
AWLA remains resolute in its mission to advance gender parity, strengthen legal protections, and end violence against women and children. We commend DOHS Cares Foundation for driving this critical advocacy and look forward to continued collaboration to ensure justice and accountability.
*AWLA: Advancing Justice, Equity & Parity for Women and Children.*
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The African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) reaffirmed its commitment to ending gender-based violence through active participation in a high-level stakeholders’ meeting held on 6th July, 2026, at the National Assembly, Abuja.
Representing the AWLA President, Mandy Asagba, Esq., the Vice Country Representative, Mariam Inuwa, Esq., joined the event in collaboration with the DOHS Cares for Vulnerable Women and Children Foundation.
The engagement, hosted by Ms. Ololade Ajayi, Chief Operating Officer of DOHS Cares Foundation, an organization dedicated to tracking gender-related killings of women and advocating for robust policy reforms in Nigeria, convened key stakeholders, including the Clerks of the National Assembly.
The objective of the meeting was to present the latest research findings on femicide and deliberate on the urgent need for comprehensive legislation to protect vulnerable women and children in Nigeria.
AWLA remains resolute in its mission to advance gender parity, strengthen legal protections, and end violence against women and children. We commend DOHS Cares Foundation for driving this critical advocacy and look forward to continued collaboration to ensure justice and accountability.
AWLA: Advancing Justice, Equity & Parity for Women and Children.
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To our newly called Solicitors and Advocates of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,
On behalf of the African Women Lawyers Association – we celebrate you!
Your call to the Nigerian Bar is not just a personal achievement. It is a victory for justice, for hard work, and for the future of the legal profession in Nigeria and the world at large. You have earned the right to wear the wig and gown, and with it comes the noble duty to uphold the rule of law, defend the vulnerable, and be a voice for those who have none.
As you step into this honourable profession, we invite you to join us in a cause bigger than ourselves.
JOIN AWLA: BE PART OF THE MOVEMENT
The African Women Lawyers Association is a Pan-African organization of women legal professionals dedicated to:
1. Advancing Gender Parity n the legal profession and in society
2. Ending Violence Against Women and Children through advocacy, law reform, and access to justice
3. Building Capacity & Leadership for women lawyers across Africa and the Diaspora
4. Partnering with HeForShe Allies – men, women, and institutions who believe justice and equity is a shared responsibility
Whether you are a woman lawyer or a male ally, AWLA is your home for mentorship, networking, training, and impact. Together, we are shaping the next generation of legal leaders and making our communities safer and fairer.
Nigeria and the world needs bold, passionate lawyers like you. Let’s fly the flag of justice together.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY:
Website: https://awla.international
Email: info@awla.international
Phone: +234 903 740 4272
+234 815 088 7710
Nigeria Chapter Email: countryrep@awlanigeria.org
Nigeria Chapter Phone: +234 703 719 6460
+234 818 848 2068
Once again, congratulations on this milestone. The Bar is proud of you, and we can’t wait to welcome you into the AWLA family.
Sincerely,
Mandy Demechi- Asagba Esq.
President
AWLA
Falilat Oluwatoyin Orire Esq.
Country Representative
AWLA, Nigeria Chapter
African Women Lawyers Association ( AWLA)
Advancing Justice, Equity & Parity for Women and Children
FÉLICITATIONS AUX NOUVEAUX AVOCATS !
À nos consœurs et confrères nouvellement admis au Barreau de la Cour suprême du Nigeria,
Au nom de l’African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), nous célébrons votre réussite ! Votre admission au Barreau nigérian ne constitue pas seulement un accomplissement personnel. C’est une victoire pour la justice, pour le travail acharné et pour l’avenir de la profession juridique au Nigeria et dans le monde entier. Vous avez mérité le droit de porter la robe et la perruque ; ce privilège s’accompagne du noble devoir de défendre l’État de droit, de protéger les personnes vulnérables et de porter la voix de ceux qui n’en ont pas. Alors que vous entrez dans cette honorable profession, nous vous invitons à vous joindre à nous pour une cause qui nous dépasse.
REJOIGNEZ L’AWLA : FAITES PARTIE DU MOUVEMENT L’African Women Lawyers Association est une organisation panafricaine de femmes juristes qui se consacre à :
1. Promouvoir la parité hommes-femmes au sein de la profession juridique et dans la société
2. Mettre fin aux violences faites aux femmes et aux enfants grâce au plaidoyer, à la réforme législative et à l’accès à la justice
3. Renforcer les capacités et le leadership des femmes juristes à travers l’Afrique et la diaspora
4. Collaborer avec les alliés du mouvement « HeForShe » — hommes, femmes et institutions convaincus que la justice et l’équité sont une responsabilité partagée Que vous soyez une femme juriste ou un homme allié,
l’AWLA est votre espace privilégié pour le mentorat, le réseautage, la formation et l’impact social. Ensemble, nous façonnons la prochaine génération de leaders du monde juridique et œuvrons pour des communautés plus sûres et plus justes.
Le Nigeria et le monde ont besoin de juristes audacieux et passionnés comme vous. Portons ensemble l’étendard de la justice.
CONTACTEZ-NOUS DÈS AUJOURD’HUI : Site web : https://awla.international E-mail : info@awla.international Téléphone : +234 903 740 4272 / +234 815 088 7710 E-mail (Section Nigeria) : countryrep@awlanigeria.org Téléphone (Section Nigeria) : +234 703 719 6460 / +234 818 848 2068 Encore une fois, félicitations pour cette étape importante. Le Barreau est fier de vous, et nous sommes impatients de vous accueillir au sein de la famille AWLA.
Cordialement,
Mandy Demechi-Asagba, avocate
Présidente AWLA
Falilat Oluwatoyin Orire, avocate Représentante nationale AWLA,
section du Nigeria
African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) Promouvoir la justice, l’équité et la parité pour les femmes et les enfants
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