The Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has appealed to the Ebonyi government to domesticate the Disability Rights Act in the state.
According to it, this will protect the rights of Persons With Disabilities (PWD) in the state.
The executive director of the organisation, Mrs. Catherine Edeh, appealed on Tuesday, at a two-day sensitisation workshop and interactive session with various stakeholders in Abakaliki.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the participants at the workshop included healthcare providers and religious and traditional leaders in Ebonyi.
The theme of the programme was: “Access to sexual and reproductive health services for women and girls with disabilities: gender-based violence and rights of persons with disabilities”.
Edeh said that domesticating the law would give a sense of belonging to PWDs in society.
“Domesticating the Disability Rights Act in Ebonyi would go a long way involving them in policy making and governance,” she said.
The executive director decried the way disabled persons had suffered, in terms of lack of inclusiveness in politics and decision-making in government.
“So, I am calling on the Ebonyi State Government to please, listen to the complaints of the PWDs and include them in decision-making,” she said.
Edeh described VDI as an advocacy network, formed by and for women with disabilities.
“It is saddled with the responsibility of safeguarding and protecting the fundamental human rights of women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria.
“It’s being supported by an international foundation known as Amplify Change, to implement a project on advancing the sexual reproductive health rights of women and girls with disabilities in the country,” she said.
A gender and social inclusion advocate, Mrs. Susan Kelechi, described the sensitisation workshop as a clarion call to the government to domesticate the disability law.
Kelechi said that the law became imperative as it could protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
“We have five states in the South-East, and unfortunately, Ebonyi is yet to domesticate the law,” she said.
Kelechi called for a collaborative effort between the health workers and the women and girls with disabilities, to ensure the protection of their sexual and reproductive health.
“This is an area that has been under-reported and under-spoken about; people don’t think about it because most times they don’t see women and girls with disabilities as sexually active people. But that is not true,” she said.
The resource person, Mr Edward Ogenyi, also urged the Ebonyi government to support the campaign and enact the law protecting the rights of PWDs.
Mr. Sunday Oketa, traditional ruler, of Nkaliki-Echara Unuhu autonomous community, commended the VDI team on the sensitisation campaign and pledged to collaborate to ensure that the law was domesticated in Ebonyi.
Earlier, Mr. Christopher Okorie, the coordinator of, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the state, called for attitudinal change towards the vulnerable people in the society.
Also, Dr Cassandra Ugochuku, vice chairperson of FIDA in the state, expressed hope that the present government would address the issue regarding the law protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in the state.
