…holds road walk to commemorate 16 Days of Activism, Int’l Day of PWDs
By Precious Oham
A group, Disability Not A Barrier Initiative, DINABI, has called on governments and the private sector to prioritize the inclusion of Persons With Disabilities, PWDs, in their programmes and projects.
The Executive Director of DINABI, Olajide Funsho stated this on Friday at the Road Walk in commemoration of 16 Days Activism and the International Day of PWDs themed: ‘Unite to End Violence Against Women and Girls’ And ‘Amplifying the Leadership of Persons With Disabilities For an Inclusive and Sustainable Future’ with funding support from Disability Rights Fund.
The Executive Director, who decried that PWDs have been neglected in every strata of the society revealed that they have been exposed to Gender-Based-Violence.
His words: “PWDs in Nigeria have been excluded in every strata of life be it in governance, education, employment, healthcare and the rest.
“We are using the opportunity to express our concerns over some of these things and also call on relevant government agencies, relevant private sectors that they should prioritize the Inclusion of PWDs in their programmes and projects.
“More importantly, we are also campaigning against GBV. Women and Girls with disabilities are facing even much more violence. It is becoming very rampant in our society and due to the nature of our disabilities, often times it is difficult for our members to be able to report such cases.
“We are using this medium to sensitize them and call on government to do more for us so that our people will know where to report cases.”
Also, the Disability Desk Officer with NSCDC, DSC Yemisi Ajejuwon charged the PWDs to speak up and report cases of violation to their offices across the 16 LGAs.
Bankole Yemisola, Women Coordinator of JONAPWD in the State urged members of the society to treat its members as human beings adding that the JONAPWD are committed to end GBV among women and girls in the State.
The one-day walk featured all clusters of disabilities including, the blind, deaf, physical, persons with albinism, leadership of Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities and representatives of government.
