About us
Who we are
Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW) is a woman-led, non-profit civil society organization established in Kaduna State in 1996 and formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission through a Board of Trustees in 2006. Over the years, LANW has designed and implemented a wide range of programmes focused on gender-responsive governance, women’s political participation and leadership, prevention and response to gender-based violence, peacebuilding and social cohesion, humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction, community resilience, and institutional strengthening.
Through policy advocacy, legal awareness, research, capacity development, stakeholder engagement, and community mobilization, LANW supports government institutions, civil society organizations, traditional and religious leaders, and community structures to promote accountability, inclusion, and sustainable development.
Our approach
Our Mission
To advance social justice and gender equality by raising legal awareness, protecting fundamental rights, and strengthening participatory, community-led development – while delivering humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction, and peacebuilding interventions that build resilience and support vulnerable populations.
Our Vision
A just and inclusive Nigerian society where equity, sustainability, participatory governance, and peaceful coexistence enable all people – especially women and girls – to thrive with dignity and resilience.
Core Values and Principle
Equity and Inclusion:
We place women and girls at the center of our work, ensuring that marginalized and vulnerable groups are actively included, empowered, and able to access opportunities, services, and decision-making spaces.
Sustainability and Resilience:
We promote long-term, locally driven solutions that strengthen community resilience to crises, support environmental stewardship, and sustain development outcomes.
Human Rights and Dignity:
We uphold, protect, and advance fundamental rights, ensuring that all individuals live with dignity, justice, and freedom from discrimination and violence.
Participation and Local Leadership:
We foster inclusive, community-led processes that amplify local voices, especially women’s leadership – in governance, humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction, and peacebuilding efforts.
Transparency and Accountability:
We maintain integrity, openness, and responsible stewardship of resources, ensuring accountability to the communities we serve, as well as to partners and stakeholders
OUR PARTNERS
LANW collaborates with government agencies, civil society, and international organizations and is a member of several networks, including:
- Kaduna State Open Government Partnership Technical Working Committee
- Kaduna State GBV Civil Society Actors Coalition
- Network of Women-Led CSOs
- West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)
- Women in Humanitarian Response in Nigeria Initiative Network (WIHRIN)
- Kaduna State Disaster Management Platform
- Tax Justice and Governance Platform
- DRR Advocacy Group
- Peace Practitioners’ Forum
Funding and Sustainability
LANW secures funding from international development partners, national grants, and community-driven initiatives. It adopts a sustainability strategy that includes capacity-building for local stakeholders and fostering long-term partnerships.