Foundation Champions Disability Inclusion With HerSTEM Sports Tourney For Girls, Women

As the world marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the FAME Foundation has stepped up its advocacy for disability‑inclusive societies by organising HerSTEM Inclusive Tournament, designed to empower girls and women through athletics and innovation.

The initiative blends sports with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), creating a platform where young women living with disabilities can showcase their talents, build confidence, and challenge stereotypes.

December 3rd is observed globally as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). This year’s theme, “Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress,” underscores the urgent call for collective action to dismantle barriers and build environments where everyone can participate fully and equally.

Executive Director, FAME Foundation, Aderonke Atoyebi, expressed her joy as the organisation marked the Day with the Inclusion Games at the National Stadium, Lagos.

She reaffirmed FAME Foundation’s commitment to promoting inclusion and celebrating diverse abilities, she said,

“I am happy with today’s event. The Inclusion Games allowed us to celebrate different abilities through activities such as the 100m finals for visually impaired athletes, athletes with cerebral palsy, and the Deaf, as well as the Discus Throw for amputees and polio survivors, and the Shot Put for amputee and Lexul athletes. This is what inclusion should look like in our society.”

She added, “This is the same principle that drives our HerSTEM Initiative. Through activities like the ongoing HerSTEM 2025 cohort, which provides digital literacy and basic computer skills training for women and girls with disabilities, and the HerSTEM Inclusive Tournament. We are creating spaces where they can learn, compete, and showcase their abilities. We are breaking stereotypes and showing that with the right opportunities, people with disabilities are not just included, they are leaders and contributors to social progress.”

Arabinrin Aderonke also emphasised the need for collaboration and systemic change, saying, “Building a truly inclusive society requires all of us working together. We call on the government to fully implement and enforce the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018. We also urge the private sector, civil society, and media to invest in accessibility, champion inclusive policies, and amplify the voices and achievements of persons with disabilities.”

She concluded with a call to action, “Our collective progress depends on our commitment to inclusion. Let us work together to build a Nigeria where every individual, regardless of ability, can contribute their talents and succeed. Disability is not a limitation but one aspect of our diverse human experience.”

Nigerian Paralympian, Oluwafemiayo Folashade, praised the organisation’s efforts to unearth talent among people with disabilities.

Folashade, who watched the ladies compete, described the day as “a very great day” for physically challenged individuals in the state and beyond. “We have new upcoming talent that will make this nation proud in the future and make FAME Foundation proud,” she said, noting the foundation’s global work in empowering people with disabilities.

She predicted the events would draw more people with disabilities off the streets into sports, offering empowerment instead of idleness.

Folashade who is also an ambassador for the FAME Foundation, called for broader support, urging companies and individuals to follow FAME’s lead as an eye-opener for nurturing talent.

Head coach. Ekiti State Parasport, Ojo Peter, expressed delight at FAME’s initiative. “For an organidation to take the bull by the horns, it goes a long way among us persons with disability,” he said. “This is what we expect from the Nigerian government, and now we have an organisation doing it for us.”