Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria

The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) is a faith-based umbrella organization that links Islamic women’s groups in Nigeria and promotes Muslim women’s viewpoints on the national stage. Since 1985, the federation has worked to spread Islam through da’awah and to advocate for Muslim girls’ education - and thus, to improve the status of Muslim women and children, to advance Nigerian development projects, and to promote the “positive social behavior of Muslim girls.” Embracing girls’ education as a means to eradicating poverty, it engages in programs to increase the retention rate of girls in school, continue education for married women, and integrate literacy and vocational training into established Qur’anic schools. FOMWAN has inspired the creation of similar groups in Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Mauritius, and Niger. It now has members from 26 Nigerian states and is affiliated with over 500 organizations.