Group Advocates Political Participation For Physically Challenged Women

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The Network of Disabled Women (NDW), an NGO on Friday advocated for more political participation and enhance legislative process for disabled women and girls to increase their inclusiveness in all national issues.

The group made the call at the end of a two-day conference in commemoration of Global Human Rights Day on Strategies for Political Participation of Women with Disabilities, Legislative Process and Advocacy in Abuja.

Mr Imoete Edet, Chief Operating Officer, NDW, noted that political participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) dropped from 8 per cent to 1 per cent during the last general elections, calling for more strategies to ensure their participation in future electoral processes.

” The drop in political participation is due to insecurity, some PWDs are afraid that during chaos or stampedes, they might likely be caught in the middle with nobody to assist them.

” Also, access to voting centres or materials to enable them participate fully has also hindered them from exercising their rights,” he said.

He said the conference aimed at sensitising the women with appropriate information that would enable them participate in politics, vie for positions and the necessary requirements needed to enable them access supports during elections.

” Our expectation is that more women with disabilities will be educated on the need to participate actively in politics and not see their disabilities as a limitation, but can actually strive to vote and be voted for during any political election,” he said.

He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government and INEC to support PWD’s to achieve more access to electoral processes as well as raise political order that would give priority to PWDs during elections.

He also encouraged PWDs to ensure they register as political party members, get voter cards and know their political rights to ensure inclusiveness.

Ms Uche Garba, representative of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), reiterated their commitment towards protecting the rights of PWDs and ensuring their full political participation.

On her part, Ms Chioma Egede, a facilitator stressed the need for PWDs to contribute towards nation building, adding that their expertise could be felt in politics, entrepreneurship, education and other areas.

Ms Eunice Uchechi-Nwokocha, a member of the network, stressed the need for persons living with albinism to also be considered and attended to, rather than joining the long queue under the sun, which puts them at risk on contacting skin cancer.

Similarly, Victoria Sani, another member encouraged PWDs to always speak out to ensure stakeholders prioritise issues affecting them and promote inclusiveness in all national issues.

 

 

 

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