Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI) has called for an inclusive education system and empowerment for persons with disabilities(PWDs) in the country.
The group made the call at a one-day stakeholder meeting in commemoration of the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disability, in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, executive director of the initiative, Edeh Catherine, stated that inclusive education helps PWDs to grow with people without disabilities, adding that it also help them to learn and know more about their own abilities.
She also emphasised that segregating PWDs will make their other abilities unknown to them and others people around them.
“If your class is a person with disability and you don’t have disability, in the future when you become a governor and you already know the ability in that your classmate, you will appoint the person into important position,” Edeh said.
“When we segregate them, how will people know the ability that the person with disability has,” she added.
The ED also urged that in tackling gender based violence (GBV), empowerment for women and girls living with disability is key.
“To fight GBV and advance health and rights, if women with disability and economically empowered, they will be able to go to hospital to take care of themselves and also be able to say “ no” when someone wants to sexually harass them.”
The meeting also saw the launch of the VDI 5-year strategic plan launch of 2-year project on advancing and reproductive health rights of women and girls with disabilities being funded by AMPLIFYCHANGE, and the validation of outcomes of stakeholder engagement and experience of rights violation among women and girls with disabilities in Kwara, Ebonyi and Enugu states.
Speaking on outcomes of the stakeholders engagement in the three states, the chairman, board of trustees of the initiative, Daniel Uwaezuoke, in his keynote address stated that while Enugu and Kwara states already have Disability Rights Laws, findings reveals that there are no structures on ground for the implementation of the laws.
He also reveals that stakeholders engagement in the three states showed high increase of sexual and gender-based violence as well as increase in HIV infection among women and girls with disabilities.
On his part, executive secretary of the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities (NCPWD), called on state governments to implement the Disability Rights Laws in their states.
He also commended VDI and assured of the commission’s commitment towards the rights and protection of persons with disabilities.
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