Association Advocates Rights Of Women With Disabilities

Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has advocated for the rights of women with disabilities in West Africa and enhanced their capacity to organise, build, and lead representative organisations and spearhead broader civil society efforts.

JONAPWD also called for a society that guarantees equality, social justice, and the rights of persons with disabilities.

Its national president, Abdullahi Aliyu Usman, disclosed this at a workshop designed for intersectional leaders and activists who are women with and without disabilities drawn from Ghana, Togo, Senegal, and Nigeria.

Usman said the workshop is supported by the Disability Rights Fund/Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRF/DRAF) “Holding Rights, Leading for Rights” funding stream, a United States federal government-funded project.

According to him, the workshop will improve participants’ capacity to lead, jointly advocate for rights, and eliminate harmful traditional practices that perpetuate gender-based violence. It will also facilitate the building of regional cross-movement collaboration with mainstream women’s movements to foster disability inclusion.

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He hinted that after the workshop, women with disabilities will be prepared for impactful leadership roles, empowered to capitalise on emerging opportunities, and equipped to drive the agenda of the disability rights movement at both the national and regional levels.

In her keynote address, director of PRS of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr Joan Jummai Idonije, said it is vital to acknowledge the strides made in advancing women’s rights in Africa.

She informed that the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), have set a clear path towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. ECOWAS nations have also made various commitments and advancements in disability rights.

Idonije said, “Why do we still emphasise disability rights at this juncture? It is crucial to note that discussions on disability rights are aimed at ensuring that individuals with disabilities have equal access to rights and opportunities as everyone else.”