Imagine you’re a seamstress with a bustling business and a loving family. Suddenly, your husband dies. Soon after, his brother invokes traditional law, taking all of your possessions back to his village. According to this tradition, everything you worked hard for now belongs to your late husband’s family. If you were a character in Neria, a popular Zimbabwean film, you get a lawyer.

In Neria, named for the film’s title character, the actors navigate the controversial path between traditional and modern forms of law, as the title character risks social alienation to take her brother-in-law to court. This risk initially dissuades Neria from claiming her rights, but a persuasive friend eventually convinces her to do so. Watching the film, it occurred to me that the story does more than just entertain. It also serves as a public service announcement, showing widows and divorcees a proud way forward. As the highest grossing film in Zimbabwe’s history, it clearly has found a rapt audience.

The film was based on a novel, but it tells us of a greater phenomenon, one that occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Although all women can suffer these human rights abuses, widows and divorced women on the continent remain particularly vulnerable. Left with nothing, these women can easily fall into poverty or worse. Though the vast majority of African governments have ratified international treaties that protect women’s property rights on paper, this does not always translate to fair legal practices on the ground. Furthermore, as Neria points out, women often lack information about their rights, and thus cannot see to it that they are respected.

Ultimately, supporting a woman’s right to own property sends a strong message: women are individuals, not just wives or mothers, and they should be able to own property as such. While African governments have a significant obligation to protect women’s rights, there is definitely a space for others to act. International organizations should also play a role in safeguarding women’s rights, as it is both a human rights and development issue. Enforcing women’s property rights will give them the tools needed to start businesses and profit from their success.

This March, Vital Voices, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, gave Leadership and Advocacy Grants to African women’s organizations to push for legislative change. Gone Rural boMake and Radiant Women’s Association, from Swaziland and Nigeria respectively, will use grant funds to strengthen women’s property rights through education and policy efforts. I am excited to see what these organizations will be able to do, armed with new funding and a strong commitment to these issues. I think films like Neria definitely have the power to influence opinions, but it will take targeted policy efforts to achieve results. Vital Voices also recognizes the power of film to highlight its advocacy work. Currently, Vital Voices is developing a series of leadership vignettes, which will use film to spotlight the important work of Gone Rural boMake and other organizations in the field.