It gives me great pleasure to welcome you our dear guests and representatives of media organisations to this modest opening ceremony of our Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Unit.  Setting up this office was made possible by the African Women Development Fund (AWDF) as part of a two part partnership that involves the mobilization of women in Lagos State through Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Community Development Associations (CDAs), for awareness creation and information sharing on women’s rights. The second part is the establishment of an ADR unit where we can provide more personal and direct assistance to women on conflicts that have to do with their rights within the family setting or other intimate relationships. Our decision to assist in this area is informed by the increasing number of women that seek our or intervention in disputes with husband, family, or other persons with whom they have intimate relationships. Many of the complaints we had received in the past ranged from threats to eject a wife from her home, refusal to pay children’s school fees or meet other family or marital obligations, to threats of violence and actual abuse. Others are disputes arising from bringing another woman into the matrimonial home or abandonment of the home; abandonment of girlfriend especially following pregnancy; and planning to marry, or actually marrying another woman by ordinance after many years of a subsisting traditional marriage. The cases are diverse. Before now we only counseled the disputants and thereafter referred them to the State Welfare Department or other organisations that offer legal services.

However we have also observed over the years that a lot of the women that come to us are not really interested in going to court and that instead, they would be satisfied with a more discreet and humane  resolution to their disputes.  The realization that we could apply our ADR expertise in this area motivated us to seek partnership with the AWDF for that purpose.

Our focus will be to act as mediator in order to facilitate constructive communication leading to voluntary agreement by both sides to any dispute brought before us.

We are aware that some NGOs are into conflict management but only a few are providing ADR services exclusively for gender based disputes. It is an advantage that here in Lagos the Citizens Mediation Centre is providing similar services on a wider scope.  We believe that that we can learn a lot from their experience, and also make referrals to them on cases that do not fall within the docket of our own services. Should any   disputant decide to go to court despite our mediation, we shall link her up with appropriate organisations, and if she is indigent, we shall assist to get help from the Lagos Office of the Public Defender, or the Legal Aid Council.  And where necessary, we shall contact the National Human Rights Commission. The fact that representatives of these organisations are present here today encourages us to believe that they are indeed favourably disposed to work with us.

We shall address this new area of our work with our usual dedication and adherence to the highest standard of service delivery. As many of you are aware, our organisation Gender and Development Action (GADA) has been promoting gender equality and women’s rights and empowerment since the past 16 years. Founded in 1994 by Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Dr. Eka Williams, and Barbra Reilly, CADA is also committed to sustainable development and social justice in Nigeria . Or work promotes greater understanding and proactive responses to gender and development  issues through advocacy, consultation and constituency building, dialogue, information dissemination,, research and documentation, sensitization and training, social mobilization and direct intervention. Our vision is of a just and equitable society where the aspirations, rights and values of women are realized alongside those of men.

Since inception, GADA has been in the forefront of the struggle for gender equality and the promotion of women’s rights in Nigeria .  In politics, we have been involved in creating awareness, building capacity, as well as cooperative networking among women at all levels, and providing technical support for aspirants and candidates. We organised the first ever Political Summit for Nigerian Women in 1996, where “A Political Agenda for Nigerian Women” was drafted and adopted. As a blue print, the document captures women’s demands for equitable representation in governance and unhindered participation in the political processes by the removal of all cultural, legal and social barriers that pull them back. It highlights the need for an enabling environment for the growth of a more gender responsive democratic culture. Also, through these years GADA has developed cutting edge expertise working with a wide range of international, local and national partners to carryout actions around women’s constitutional, economic, social and cultural rights, including their livelihoods, health and gender based violence. GADA has become an influential member of the women’s movement in Nigeria , and has often acted as a rallying point for mobilizing women’s groups and their allies, linking their popular demands to policy makers and negotiating appropriate options. Our quarterly newsletter, “Women in Public Life” has become a highly sought after resource on women’s involvement in political, economic and community decision-making.

Today we are at the threshold of serving Nigerian women on a new platform. We are grateful to the AWDF for providing the support for us to actualize our dream of making more positive impact on the personal lives of women through ADR. We also appreciate the sacrifice you our guests must have made in order to be with us today for this simple ceremony. You are all welcome, and we sincerely hope that you will enjoy your stay.

Thank you.