By Udesinanna Stephen
The Disability Not a Barrier Initiative (DINABI) has called for an end to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women and girls with disabilities, urging community action.
The body made the call on Thursday, in Ado-Ekiti at a one-day training workshop sponsored by Disability Rights Fund (DRF) on “community mobilization Against GBV” for Women and girls with disabilities.
The Executive Director of DINABI in Ekiti State, Mr Olajide Funso while addressing the press noted that the workshop targets to expose women and girls with disabilities to the supposed steps to take when faced with violence, “We are training them so that they will be able to know the appropriate quarters to go to and how to approach them”
He also sought for government inclusion of persons with disability in government offices and parastatal, “In the Ekiti state Gender Base Violence Coordinating Committee, there is no person with disability in that committee, so we are expecting that government should incorporate that.
“We are also expecting sign language interpreters in all this structure for proper inclusiveness and integration in the society.” He added.
Speaking on Government contribution for PWD, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Adetoun Agboola, said “The Governor has just given us about 3.6 hectares of land in eligacy Ado-Ekiti where we will build a house for people with serious disabilities, these are people their parents cannot take care of. We are setting a structure for them, a recreational center, sport, farms so that they can be engaged.”
She commended the Director of DINABI for leading the initiative against GBV emphasizing that the campaign is crucial because GBV has resulted in loss of lives, destroyed futures, and caused harm to individuals, families, and the society.
Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC) for Persons With Disabilities Desk Officer of NSCDC, Ekiti State Command, Mrs. Adejuwon Yemisi, pledged support for the initiative and encouraged victims to speak out.
More so, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Omotayo Olatilu, represented by Mrs Akomolafe Helen noted that gender violence does not only affect women but also men, adding that victims should speak out for intervention.
Mrs. Ogundele Seun Olamide, representing the Ekiti State Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), commended DINABI for taking steps to combat gender-based violence against women. She expressed her support for such initiatives and looked forward to more collaborations and efforts to address this issue.