African widows summit kickoff in Namibia with calls for inclusivity of widows

Over 500 delegates, representing widows from 21 African countries, kickoff 2025 Pan-African Widows Summit in Namibia on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.

The three-day event, taking place at the Mövenpick Hotel in Windhoek, Namibia, is dubbed "Widowhood in Africa: Building a Sustainable Culture" and will run until Friday, September 5. 

The summit, organised by the Pan-African Widows Growth and Development Initiative (PAWGaDi), founded by Hope Nwakwesi, PhD, aims to address the multifaceted challenges faced by widows in Africa. 

Speaking during the event, the President of Namibia, Her Excellency Naindi Netumbo Ndaitwah, welcomed participants and urged panelists to give widows justice in her opening remarks. 

President Ndaitwah emphasised that widowhood is often viewed as a social sentence rather than a personal loss, with many widows facing stigma, which is why they should be included in policy-making. 

Namibia’s Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Social Welfare, Linda Mbwale, highlighted the need for spaces where policy culture can rewrite this narrative to create a supportive environment for widows. 

She reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to uplifting widows and helping them reclaim their voices and rightful place in society. 

Hope Nwakwesi, founder and president of PAWGaDi, said, "We have had a good journey. We have made history. The African Widows Development Initiative is launched, and discussion is now taken further into action”,

“Together, the widows of Africa are now demanding inclusion in decision-making and nothing about them without them," she added. 

Nwakwesi urged political leaders, civil society, the African Union, and international stakeholders to drive policy reforms and social change that uplift widows and transform the African continent.

She expressed optimism that after the summit, African widows will build a sustainable culture for African widowhood in the future. 

During the exchanges, participants were schooled on strategies to effectively address the multifaceted challenges faced by women in widowhood across the African continent.

The panel and plenary sessions were moderated by Amy Banda, Toun Okewale Soniaya, John Ikondia, Michael Madhimba, and Hope Nwakwesi, PhD. 

BY SIMON KALLA

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