Ijaw Women Leadership Forum

The Ijaw Women Leadership Forum is the umbrella body of all women’s organizations in the Southsouth region of Nigeria. It was founded as a response to the tragedy of a motor accident which took the lives of four prominent leaders of the Ijaw community. Comrade Joseph Evah organized a relief effort between many smaller, previously unaffiliated women’s groups to provide strength and support to the families and communities of those who lost their lives.
The effort was so successful in providing care and help that it was decided that instead of letting the new organization dissolve, it would become a permanent network that would consistently coordinate efforts to contribute to the greater Ijaw community. Comrade Joseph Evah adopted the network into the Lagos-based Ijaw Monitoring Group and The Ijaw Women Leadership Forum was founded on the 4th of February, 2007.
Centering on the idea of “Be your brother’s keeper,” IWLF works to support the Ijaw people in all their progressive and peace promoting endeavors, especially in the troubled Niger Delta region. IWLF celebrates womanhood as a cornerstone of the Ijaw tradition and seeks to protect the welfare of all of its members and the Ijaw people. On Monday, 24th March, 2008, IWLF held its one year anniversary and recognized a year of growth and many successes.