Abuja, Nigeria – June 24, 2025 — In a momentous gathering that marked the culmination of five years of determined advocacy and community engagement, the Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC) on Monday celebrated the achievements and long-term impact of its WE LEAD Project—a groundbreaking initiative focused on promoting the sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) of women and girls with disabilities (WGWDs) across Nigeria.
Held in Abuja, the Project Close-Out and Dissemination Meeting convened a diverse group of stakeholders, including government representatives, media practitioners, civil society leaders, educational institutions, traditional and religious leaders, and organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs). The event served as a forum to reflect on the milestones achieved, share lessons learned, and unveil a comprehensive sustainability strategy to ensure continued progress in advancing SRHR inclusion for women and girls with disabilities.
“A Celebration of Voices, Visibility, and Victories”
Opening the event, *Mrs. Bukola Fakunle, DRAC’s Deputy Executive Director, welcomed participants and expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who contributed to the project’s success. She described *WE LEAD as a “transformative journey” that centered the voices of WGWDs and challenged deep-rooted misconceptions about their rights, sexuality, and autonomy.
“This meeting is more than a celebration—it is a call to action. Over the past five years, we’ve not only amplified the voices of young women with disabilities but built a movement for inclusive SRHR advocacy that will outlive the project,” Fakunle said.
She noted that the dissemination event aimed to share the project’s results, highlight powerful stories of change, identify challenges, and build consensus around sustainable actions.
A Nationwide Movement: From Grassroots Advocacy to National Policy Reform
Since its inception, the WE LEAD Project has catalyzed a wide range of strategic activities spanning policy reform, grassroots mobilization, stakeholder engagement, media advocacy, digital campaigning, and capacity-building.
DRAC *Program Officer, Balqis Amoo, gave a detailed presentation of the project’s achievements. She explained that *WE LEAD was not merely a program but a bold intervention designed to challenge pervasive myths—such as the harmful stereotype that women and girls with disabilities are asexual or unfit for relationships or motherhood.
“These misconceptions have kept many WGWDs excluded from vital SRHR conversations and services. Through this project, we have shattered those barriers,” Amoo emphasized.
Key activities under the project included:
2022: Setting the Foundation Through Community Engagement
- Advocacy Visits in Benue State: DRAC engaged with five traditional and five religious leaders to promote inclusive messaging and secure commitments to support disability-sensitive SRHR narratives.
- Community Dialogues: One-day dialogues facilitated open conversations about the unique SRHR challenges faced by WGWDs and helped community actors identify and address barriers.
- Media Roundtable: Journalists and influencers pledged to integrate disability-inclusive narratives into their content and organize training for other media professionals.
- Youth Sensitization: DRAC held SRHR sensitization meetings with young women with disabilities, increasing their knowledge of consent, bodily autonomy, and access to health services.
- CSO Capacity Building: Youth-led and youth-focused CSOs were trained on inclusive advocacy techniques and committed to championing SRHR for persons with disabilities.
2023: Amplifying Voices Through the Airwaves
- Two-Month Radio Campaign: Using Pidgin and English, DRAC ran jingles on two major stations in Benue, spreading awareness to remote and underserved communities. The result was increased public discourse, reduced stigma, and broader support for inclusive SRHR messaging.
2024: Elevating Advocacy to the National Stage
- *Advocacy Visit to the Federal Ministry of Health: DRAC pushed for a long-overdue *review of the National Policy on SRHR for Persons with Disabilities, presenting actionable recommendations to make it more inclusive and effective.
- Media Engagement Breakfast: Enhanced the capacity of media professionals to tell disability-inclusive stories with sensitivity and accuracy.
- Knowledge Exchange in Abuja: A one-day knowledge-sharing forum enabled multi-sector stakeholders to discuss best practices and identify collective strategies to integrate disability inclusion into SRHR programming.
- Staff Capacity Strengthening: DRAC invested in its internal team, holding a two-day workshop on financial management, team building, and advocacy effectiveness.
- Community Outreach in Karonmajigi: Reached 100 WGWDs with menstrual products and comprehensive SRHR education, improving dignity, health, and self-esteem.
- Digital Campaigns for International Days: Leveraged social media to raise awareness during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and 16 Days of Activism, drawing attention to the intersection of gender-based violence and disability.
2025: Influencing Policy and Nurturing the Next Generation
- Twitter Space on Menstrual Health: Attracted over 400 participants and ignited important conversations on inclusive menstrual health for women and girls with disabilities.
- Educational Sessions in FCT Schools: Engaged students at Abuja School for the Deaf, GSS Kuje, and FCT School for Special Needs on their SRHR, equipping them with life-changing knowledge on personal safety, hygiene, and autonomy.
- Technical Consultative Meetings with OPDs: Rights holders and OPDs contributed lived experiences and practical insights into the draft revision of the National SRHR Policy.
- Stakeholders’ Validation Meeting: A landmark meeting where stakeholders validated the revised policy draft, ensuring it truly reflects the needs of persons with disabilities and is ready for national adoption.
Stakeholders Applaud DRAC’s Legacy of Inclusion
The Executive Secretary of the *National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), **Chief Ayuba Gufwan, ably represented by Director of Social Integration *Mr. Lawrence Idemudia, praised DRAC’s efforts, describing the organization as one of Nigeria’s most effective voices for women with disabilities.
“DRAC is a powerhouse in the disability rights movement, particularly in promoting inclusive health and rights. The Commission remains committed to supporting this vital work,” Idemudia noted.
Other partners, including the *FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, **Federal Ministry of Education, *JONAPWD FCT, and school representatives, echoed their congratulations and emphasized the need to build on the momentum by fostering stronger collaborations.
Sustainability: DRAC’s Vision Beyond WE LEAD
As the curtain draws on the formal duration of the project, DRAC unveiled a robust sustainability strategy aimed at embedding inclusive SRHR advocacy into national structures and community practices. Key actions include:
- CSR Integration: Engaging private sector organizations to adopt SRHR inclusion as part of their corporate social responsibility portfolios.
- Ongoing Media Partnerships: Continuing collaborations with media outlets to promote disability-inclusive messaging and awareness.
- Government Engagement: Advocating for the integration of inclusive SRHR into federal and state-level policies and programs.
- Digital Advocacy Expansion: Scaling online campaigns and leveraging platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp to reach broader audiences.
- Fundraising and Grants: Securing local and international funding to support continuous programming.
- Institutionalizing WE LEAD: Embedding key activities into DRAC’s core operations to ensure longevity and deeper integration.
The Road Ahead: From Project to Movement
As participants dispersed, one message rang clear: the WE LEAD Project may be ending, but the movement it started is just beginning. DRAC’s work has planted seeds of empowerment, ignited partnerships, and changed lives—especially those of the young women and girls who now see themselves as agents of change, not just beneficiaries of programs.
“We’ve turned silence into speech, invisibility into recognition, and exclusion into empowerment,” said Balqis Amoo. “This is not the end. It is the continuation of a movement that will grow stronger with every voice that joins it.”
