by Kenneth Alabaraonye
Prioritizing inclusive budgeting for the sexual and reproductive health rights of PWDs in Nigeria campaign is an initiative of four women led Disabled persons organization consisting of the inclusive Friends association (IFA), Advocacy for women with disabilities initiative (AWWDI), Faecare foundation and Haly Hope foundation. The goal of the team is to ensure social inclusion, access to basic health care services and facilities and increased awareness about the health status of people with disabilities with special consideration for women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria.
In a press conference which took place in Abuja on Thursday, Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association Grace Jerry speaking on behalf of the group informed that WHO estimated that 15% of the world’s population live with at least one form of disability and in Nigeria this figure sums to over 30 million persons. One important aspect in the lives of such a huge demography that has continually suffered relegation is sexual and reproductive health. Our society has failed to notice that like any other persons, PWDs equally have sexual reproductive health needs. PWDs are infantilized and held to be incapable and unfit for marriage partners or even capable of parenting. The sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHRs) of PWDs continue to be contested while it remains a threat on rights to good health and life.
Speaking further, she said that attempts by the Nigerian government to address some pressing issues that has remained a challenge to PWDs has given birth to the ratification of UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (UNCRPD) on September 2010, the signing into law the discrimination against persons with disability (prohibition) Act on January 2019 and most recently, the national health policy on the reproductive health right of persons with disabilities. These giant steps have in no doubt projected our country as disability friendly and commend Mr. President for the effort.
Despite these obvious efforts, there are alarming tendencies that need to be curtailed very fast. Women and girls with disabilities make up about 75% of the total number of PWDS in the world. And the majority of this population is found in the third world countries and of course Nigeria. They are consistent victims of sexual violence and abuse which makes them vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STI). To further worsen the situation knowledge is lacking on SRH services and care such that even a PWD is abused, he/she lacks knowledge on what to do or how access health care services.
The group reminded government about the need to understand that policies and laws should be fully implemented. An inclusive budget that will facilitate the dictates of the national policy on reproductive health rights of PWDs is their strongest recommendation and in order to Prioritize inclusive budgeting for sexual and reproductive health rights of PWDs in Nigeria campaign they recommended the following;
- The ministries of health, finance, budget, and planning, women affairs and humanitarian services, disaster management and social development should make deliberate efforts to ensure that inclusive budgeting is taken into account to provide access information on SRH care and services to cover for all forms of disability.
- The national orientation agency(NOA) and the media should ensure mainstreaming of SRHR of PWDs and increase awareness that violation of the SRH rights is a crime and punishable under law.
- The civil society must work together to ensure that inclusive budgeting for SRHRs is implemented at all levels.
- The federal capital development authority must ensure that barriers to accessing health care facilities are completely eradicated
The group recognized the media as strategic partners in this quest for social inclusion and urge the media to escalate this issue until it gets the much-needed attention required to effect a responsive change to include PWDs needs in our beloved country Nigeria.
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