Linked with Alleviating Poverty in Nigeria.
She is one of the 1000 women proposed for the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
She is also one of the political heroes as Human rights defender.
She says: « A widow is not needy just because she holds a special place in society. She also has her part to play in her country’s economic development ».
Read: WILDAF-Newsletter.
Read: disarming our mindset.
Read: Commission Européenne, rapport final in french: le Niger (by scrolling down);
Read: Post-conflict Reconstruction in Africa: A Gender Perspective, Document distributed by: The African Centre for Gender & Development, A Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Hadizatou Issa Iyayi – Niger
She works for the Association of Widows and Victims of the Rebellion of Niger AWVRN (has no own website, but is mentionned on others, see below under ‘links’).
Born in Diffa in 1957, Hadizatou Issa Iyayi is known in her country for her courage and her consistency in fighting against injustice and the relegation of women to second place in Niger. Supporters of the AWVRN lost people dear to them – husbands, parents and others during the internal conflicts provoked by the Touareg rebels. This situation occurred amid poverty and total confusion. At the end of rebellion, these women were afraid and forgotten by everyone, including Nigerian authorities.
Now, their husbands or their parents, who died while defending the country, have the right to national recognition from others through those that are left behind. This is why Hadizatou created her organization. Another reason is that she wants the widows and victims of the rebellion to become proactive in earning a living and not lapse into begging, desolation and disgrace.
She is the president of the AVVRN, she fights for women whose husbands died during the war. But she fights also for peace. In her understanding, in order to achieve peace, you must bring it into your daily life. Without peace, it will not be possible to re-construct the country, achieve stability or build a better future. Hadizatou Issa proposes therefore the restoration of a culture of peace in her country, in all the cities, towns and villages of Niger.
With these many issues, the leader of the AWVRN approached the armies and many agreed to lay down their weapons and to renounce all forms of revenge. Hadizatou gains nothing through her work in terms of money or retribution. The only rewards she wants are to be happy in her work and to see a definite return to peace. The president of the Association of Widows and Victims of the Rebellion of Niger is married and the mother of six children. She did not go to school, even though today she fights for the rights of all children of Diffa to an education. She is known in her community for her devotion to stability and the emancipation of Peuhl and Diffa woman in particular and Nigerian woman overall. She renounces riches in favour of working in very poor communities who fight daily for survival.
Hadizatou was born into a big Peulh family of Niger. Thanks to her work, she is a popular leader in her country where she is also known as president of the regional office in Diffa of the NGO Saphta. Many know of her presence at the Flame of the Peace in Agadez and her work for the reintegration of former rebel fighters. The lawyer Souna Hadizatou Diallo knows her and appreciates Hadizatou Issa Iyayi for the immense work that she has done for her community in order to pull it out of insecurity and poverty. This positive opinion of the leader of the AVVRN is shared by many Nigerians. Hadizatou Issa Iyayi is illiterate, but speaks French and understands English well. In addition she speaks the local languages Haoussa and Kanuri perfectly. (Read all on 1000peacewomen 2005).
links:
AAWS BOOKSHELF, Recent Books about African Women, Compiled by Obioma Nnaemeka;
37 West African women … ;
WOMEN, LAW and DEVELOPMENT in AFRICA: Homepage en français same in english.
Women Films, Western Libraries.