Network of Disabled Women, an NGO, has called on the Federal Government and Cooperate Organisations to implement the five per cent reservation in the Nigerian disability Act 2018, to help address challenges faced by women and girls with disabilities in the country.
Mrs Lios Auta-Udonkanta, the President of the organisation made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Auta-Udonkanta said this shortly after a National Dialogue with stakeholders on ‘Inclusive Employment for Women with Disabilities’ to commemorate the 2021 International Women’s Day.
She said that there was a need to create upportunies for skilled and unskilled members of the disability community by ensuring that they are educated, elected and appointed in various committees at both the Federal and State levels.
According to her, setting up actions and strategies that are inclusive, accessible and affordable for women and girls with disabilities in the country would encourage capacity building across sectors.
“These women with disabilities are brilliant, educated and have gone to school, they have the potentials and are productive to make things happen in various offices but they are not given the upportunies.
” I am calling on the Government to provide upportunies for employment and also make sure that this women are employed because we are capable, we have the character to make things happen wherever we are.
“It is also time to start thinking of actions and strategies that are inclusive, affordable and accessible for women and girls with disabilities through inclusive budgeting.
She said her organisation was committed to working with government and civil society organisations to achieve global and regional gender equality and women empowerment in the context of humanitarian actions.
The president said that there was a need for civil society organisations, including those working with women with disabilities, to participate in gender assessments to include their needs across sectors.
“We are planning on how to collaborate and partner with community leaders that will take the advocacy to the grassroots and also to the secondary level of our healthcare system.
“We also aim to develop regional advocacy plans on key humanitarian issues with a view to the formation of community-based structures of women and girls with disabilities to ensure self-representation,” she said.
However, she called on women and girls with disabilities in the country to be creative, innovative and self reliant for capacity building and development of the country.
NAN reports that the theme for 2021 International Women’s Day celebration to hold March 8, is titled #Choose To Challenge#.
(NAN)
