LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) -As the world commemorates the International Women’s Day (IWD) on Friday, some women with disabilities have shared challenges as some highlighted the critical importance of prioritizing the rights, inclusion and empowerment of women and girls with disabilities.
They spoke on Thursday at an event organized by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) to mark IWD 2024.
According to a statement by CCD, the theme for IWD 2024: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,’’ aims at tackling economic disempowerment.
“Women and girls with disabilities face compounded challenges due to the intersection of gender and disability, leading to heightened vulnerability to violence, social exclusion, and limited access to opportunities.
“The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) recognizes this reality, calling for urgent action to address the specific needs and rights of women and girls with disabilities,” it stated.
On her part, Adedoyin Beyioku-Alse, Hearing Impaired/Deaf Cluster, lamented the absence of financial inclusion for women and girls with disabilities.
She said that the turf was already tough on the male gender, not to talk of the women.
She said that accessing funds and loans was difficult as financial institutions usually looked down on PWDs, with the notion that the venture may not thrive or that they may not be able to pay back.
“And without money, we become beggars.
However, we are a work in progress. But we can only get there when we are counted as part of the society,” she said.
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She emphasized the importance of education and having skills, but said that these would be worthless without being put to practice.
She said that the society must begin to treat persons with disabilities “first’’ and with top priority as the law stipulated.
Another arm amputee, Ms Assumpta Khalil, said there was a need for women with disabilities to be empowered.
According to her, stabilizing women with disabilities in the areas of finances and empowerment will go a long way in reducing the challenges they encounter daily.
She proffered that governments highlight, implement and enforce policies put in place to mitigate these challenges and stereotypes.
Khalil also said that women with disabilities faced tough times accessing health care services just as they often become victims of sexual and emotional abuse.
“Women with disabilities do not get adequate guidance and attention while accessing health care services in government owned hospitals.
“Also, I have done my research and have found out that we have more single women in the disability community.
“Women with disabilities are being seen as for sexual pleasure; the rate of single mothers is high in the disability community, and this has to stop by empowering, even with information, among us the women ourselves.
“We also have cultural norms and beliefs, a patriarchal society that is affecting us.’’
According to her, families do not want PWDs to be married into their families, and in some instances, some women with disabilities go ahead to have babies outside wedlock because they feel their biological clock is ticking.
“We are then left to fend for these children. The discrimination is too much and it needs to stop.’’
Consequently, she recommended increased awareness and continuous sensitisation.
Ms Modupe Akinsola said that living with visual impairment had been problematic, saying that in religious circles, PWDs had become “objects of/for miracles by churches.”
She said there was an urgent need for reorientation of the public, to improve the lot of women and girls with disabilities.
Ms Tolase Kolapo, who has hearing impairment, said that communication remained a major challenge for women with disabilities even as the numbers of interpreters were not adequate.
According to Oluwakemi Odusanya who is visually impaired from birth, often times, there is stereotype labelling of PWDs, of which needs to be erased.
“There is a multiplier effect on the negative perception of PWDs and there is a lot of work to be done.
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“There is a need for governments, families, CSOs to continue talking about inclusion because it’s painful to us. This can lead to depression.
“The society doesn’t understand that we are yet coming from a place of healing and being segregated can lead to physical and emotional harm.’’
She called for continuous sensitisation of the public and PWDs alike, while urging governments to learn and implement good practices from other climes on how to cater to the needs of PWDs.
An Albino, Bolarinwa Olasunbo who also spoke said that people with Albinism face challenges ranging from name calling to diverse forms of discriminative labelling alongside the negative cultural stereotypes in our society.
According to her, these negative attitudes can result in depression, low self-esteem and even suicide.
She said that women with disabilities often end up as victims of rejection and abuse in relationships, and these result in mental challenges.
She urged women with disabilities to arise above these limiting situations.
Mobolaji Oyedotun who is hearing impaired urged governments to create an enabling environment for equal opportunities to access loans, as well as create an inclusive environment.
In accessing medical and healthcare, a teacher who has visual impairment, Elizabeth Onayere, said that women with disabilities also faced challenges in that area.
She urged governments to use the health sector to propagate the challenges of PWDs as well as how to treat them better.
“There should be counsellors in every health centre, every government hospital.
“For instance, some children are born blind. Instead of the parents leaving sad, by the time they receive a certain level of orientation, they would be different,” he said.
Onayere also harped on the need for family and societal acceptance.
She urged persons with disabilities, especially women, to build self esteem.