Kenny Folarin, Abuja
The Founder and National Coordinator, Advocacy for Women with Disability Initiative (AWWDI), Mrs Patience Dickson has expressed worry over the lingering discrimination and assault against women and girls living with disability in the country.
Dickson while speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a media interaction stated that it is double criminality against women and girls living with disabilities but are hell bent on fighting against it.
According to Dickson, Gender Based Violence is rampant this days and for women and girls with disability it is something else with the discrimination staring them in the face and when women and girls with disabilities are raped, it is often seen as if nothing was done that is double criminality against us and that is what they are fighting against.
Dickson reiterated that with collaboration with Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in the Gender Based Violence Dashboard, they want to increase the statistics of women and girls that has been assaulted and raped.
“So if you know you have any, please contact us so that we can go with some of the agencies that we work with that will help us identify if just one because one means a lot to us and if this one can get justice it is more than enough that can change and transform the mentality of many people and community that we work with”.
Meanwhile Resident Representative, United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA), Ms. Ulla Mueller disclosed that 15% of the world population lives with disabilities with cases of disabilities assault under reported.
Mueller also noted In the federal capital territory, 11.3% of human household between 15 above live with one form of disability or the other.
She explained that people living with disability are most at risk of Gender Based Violence because society does not give them a voice when they want to access justice.
Also, she Mueller stated that Gender Based Violence is a gross violation of human right, she averred that issues about ending Gender Based Violence of Women with Disability are being discussed, structures should be out in place , as women are often voiceless and unempowered.
“it is not just enough for women to stand up for women but stand for the women next to her, let’s speak she for she because we have within us what it takes to make the difference”.
She however charged them to get their Permanent Voters Card, participate actively in the upcoming 2023 General Elections.
“Please remember that as we move towards 2023, women with disability should register and empower to vote, so I am using this opportunity to say help women with disability to get registered so they can vote”.
Southeast Regional Coordinator, AWWDI, Nnenna Alaukwu berated the activities of the media in reporting cases of assault against women and girls living with disabilities as work done by Advocacy for Women with Disability Initiative and many other organizations hardly get reported.
Alaukwu noted that many media houses and media practitioners believe that issues of women and girls with disabilities are not newsworthy.
She however charged the media to take a stand for women and girls with disabilities where it matters, use thier platforms to condemn Gender Based Violence against Women and Girls living with disabilities.