African Widows Growth and Development Initiative AWGaDi, known as The Union of African Widows Union is a pan-African network of African Widows and widows’ led non-governmental organisation (NGO) aimed at providing political leadership and guidance and improving the status of women in widowhood across the continent through inclusion in governance and actions. The body 

AWGADI effort is to improve the value and quality of life for African widows by bringing  millions of widows with one voice; providing common tools with common goals of reforming the African Space for women in widowhood; facilitates widows inclusion, drive data collection and research, accelerate advocacy/ mass enlightenment campaign efforts, build grant making mechanism, and develop strategic interventions that will dismantle all root causes leading to widows’ exclusion, exploitations, and disenfranchisement in Africa.

In our continued efforts to advance protection and provision of widow-focused policies and inclusive development in Africa, AWGADI, have implemented The African first ever high-profile widows summit launched by His Excellency Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi; The African Widows Summit (TAWS2024). The premier summit which had over 350 delegates from 11 African countries with notable keynote speakers as Prudence Nonkululeko Ngwenya Director of Women, Gender Development and Youth Directorate (WGDY)  African Union that was held on June 20th 2024 has set a new benchmark in addressing widows issues in African.

AWGADI, seeks to take on a leadership role, provide guidance, and  advance the inclusion and participation of widows and its agenda in national and international Conferences through inclusion. 

Widows inclusion as a part of the Africa We Want Agenda 63 is key to accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the Global Sustainable Development agenda 2030 and AWGADI is a Pan-African network that serves as a continental platform for building a universal and sustainable culture for African women in widowhood. The advocacy and mobilization of actions for widows inclusion in legal, economic, education, health and housing policies; a widow-focused policy towards a lasting empowerment and promotion of the value of African Widows.

AWGADI also serves as a practical instrument to implement The United Nations observances of 23 June as International Widows Day (resolution A/RES/65/189) and operationalizing widowhood action in line with Twenty-sixth session agenda 29, Advancement of women: Addressing the situation of widows by African widows at the continental, regional and county level. The network seeks to increase widows’ participation in decision-making through advocacy, networking and collaboration, enhanced solidarity, and capacity-building, among other strategies. 

The African Widows Growth and Development Initiative (AWGADI) Network continues to grow through the regional rotational annual high-profile conference, establishing the Secretariat,  Regional and the Country Chapters who contribute to expanding and operationalizing the network. 

AWGADI activities and advocacy are based on the Network’s 3 pillars: widows inclusion in legal, economic, education, health and housing policies; decision-making, planning and resource allocation; Grant Making, Capacity building and enhancement of grassroots widows and widows organisations which are advanced through the body’s Regional and County Chapters. AWGADI which has been built through online has been prominent on social media and the recent completion of the summit has strengthened further the body with 22 countries while igniting the attention of many; and many more country widows involvement.  

The body consists of Grand Patron/ Patron/Goodwill Ambassadors, Advisory council, Steering Committee and Working Council.

The widows pioneering leadership consists of two regional representatives.

• Regional Offices 

• Country Chapters