As the newly appointed ministers get down to work, the Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kenedy-Ohaneye, the Hands of God Widows Support Initiative (HOGWIN) has been charged with drawing up programs that cater to widows in Nigeria. 
A statement our Executive Director, Phranklin Audu, notes that historically, widows have been left unseen, unsupported, and unmeasured in societies. 
According to the statement, a cursory study of Nigeria’s 108-page National Gender Policy, reveals the words widows and widowhood are mentioned 8 and 4 times, respectively. 
This, Audu said, is a further testament that widows deserve more attention and more deliberate effort toward their reintegration into society. Nigeria is home to about 15 million of the estimated 285 million widows worldwide. 
“For many widows, the loss of their spouse marks the start of a life-long struggle for survival. The Honorable Minister of Women Affairs must be at the front of the call to end all forms of widow stigmatization and gender-based violence against widows in Nigeria. 
“She must make a concerted effort, and we believe that being a lawyer puts her in a vantage position to push for the domestication and enforcement of laws that protect the rights of widows in line with the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act and other related global conventions,” the statement reads.
Audu also called on Kenedy-Ohaneye to prioritize the advocacy for the recognition of the rights of widows by developing a policy framework that promotes widows' inclusion and reintegration at all levels of society. 
“We also call on the Honorable Minister to work with civil societies and international partners to work towards the liberation of Nigerian widows and work towards their economic independence through support like skill acquisition and business opportunities for indigent widows. Social services like legal aid must be made available for redress,” he added. 
He further listed the recognition of the rights of widows as critical for the achievement of the global goal of gender equality. 
Hands of Gods Widows Support Initiative is a not-for-profit organization championing the recognition of the rights of widows across rural communities in line with Sustainable Development Goals 1, 3, 5, 8 & 17