Women with disabilities in Nigeria? How strategic empowerment can help?
In Nigeria, despite the level of changes in women empowerment, the nation still has a long way to go. Though we cannot say there is a major drive in this regard to include women with disabilities. It is pertinent to know that empowerment is beyond finance augmentation or poverty alleviation for women.
It must be a holistic development of women which propels national development. Having noticed greater dividends associated with women empowerment (a woman with or without disabilities) such as the ability of such individuals to gain a level of independence; government agencies and notable NGOs continue to push this agenda.
Women with disabilities in Nigeria face a myriad of challenges spanning from attitudinal derogation, limited access to education, healthcare and physical barriers. Women with disabilities are often excluded. They are often segregated and excluded by society.
If we care for an inclusive society, strategic empowerment for women with disabilities has become important today. The following are vital avenues to empower women with disabilities.
Educational empowerment:
If we truly care about empowering women with disabilities, access to quality education should be at the centre. Education comes in different slices. In Nigeria several ground-breaking steps have to be taken. Education is one of the unwavering means of empowering women with disabilities. More structured, inclusive school adult schools may be required.
Trained special needs educators who are not discriminatory with the right attitude are urgently needed to intensify the empowerment of women with disabilities.
Empowerment through health:
Health is a pivotal trajectory in breaking barriers to inclusion, Health is wealth. Gaps in Women with disabilities health need remain wide. Without good health no one can contribute meaningfully to personal and nation growth,
Inclusive health policy and budgeting should become a priority for Nigeria’s lawmakers to enable women g with disabilities to get adequate care from doctors.
Section 21 of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (DAPDA 2019) should be fully implemented. Women with disabilities must be empowered to seek justice if this is denied them. This also will demand inclusive health workers who have the knowledge and training should be employed to cater for PWDs patients
Capacity building for gainful employment:
Economic independence is the most popular way of empowering an individual. Over the years this has not failed and has yielded indelible results. ‘’Economic disability is the worst level of disability.
Jennifer Ibrahim, Physically challenged poultry business owner, founder of a foundation helping others(PC: Nigeria Guardian)
Having a sense of economic independence is an achievement. It helps in conquering many fears as well as help individuals to demand for his/her rights. An economically disadvantaged person often accepts anything offered to them even though they know they deserve more. “Beggars have no choice”” is a popular mantra.
Economic empowerment can be through competitive sports skills development, vocational training, business and relationship education. The world has shown Women with disabilities can become global champions through its Paralympic games.
Lucy Ejike, a powerlifter, stands today as a great example of an empowered woman with disability in competitive sport. Ejike has represented Nigeria for about six times in Paralympic sports and won medals. She uses an assistive device for movement due to polio and she also works as sport administrator.
Lucy-Ejike, Nigeria’s Paralympics powerlifter medal winner(PC: okay.ng)
Vocational training centres should be fully equipped to accommodate women with disabilities. It has been proven for example, persons with intellectual developmental disabilities can breed chickens and ducks, physically-challenged persons with walking impairment can learn knitting etc.
In summary, empowering women with disabilities is not just barrier breaking but also supports inclusive society where every potential is maximized