Deaf Women Aloud Initiative (DWAI) on Thursday March 24, 2022 in Abuja, embarked on an advocacy visit to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to advance the rights of Deaf Women and Girls to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in FCT Abuja, Nigeria.
The advocacy visit is part of DWAI’s project supported by Disability Rights Fund (DRF) which geared towards advancing the rights of Deaf Women and Girls to prevent and respond to Gender Based Violence in the FCT.
Helen Beyioku-Alase, Executive Director (DWAI) in her remark said that Deaf women faced Gender Based Violence and its often compounded by communication barriers and disability-based discrimination. Most incidents of GBV are not reported to the police. Deaf women and girls are often have crushingly low self-esteem; many fear that reporting incidents of abuse might lead to them being abandoned, having their children taken away, losing financial support and care, and increased isolation.
“The UN convention on the rights of persons with disability (UNCRPD), Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP), Child Rights Act, and Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities (prohibition) Act 2018, makes provision for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities”.
Speaking further, she said that unfortunately, too many existing programs meant to prevent Gender Based Violence against women do not take into account the unique dangers and challenges faced by these Deaf women. Without specific attention and solutions, these Deaf women have been left behind and at risk.
She then called on NAPTIP to build into programme, the rights and protection for Deaf women.
“It will require sustainable national focus, cooperation of different national bodies & agencies, momentum and action. The main thrust of the law is to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence against PWDs and to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for punishment of offenders and for other related matters” he added.
She also said that the reason for the visit was to implore the Director General of NAPTIP to use her good office to do the following:
- Inform, communicate and include DWAI in every activity organize by NAPTIP relating to GBV and health.
- Make disability inclusion a compulsory part of initial and routine for all staff especially in areas of GBV reporting.
- Ensure 5% employment opportunities of persons with disabilities in compliance with section 29 of discrimination against persons with disabilities (prohibition) Act 2018
- Collaborate with DWAI on developing a rapid responsive and inclusive GBV reporting & response management system specifically for deaf women and girls together with security and law enforcement agencies
- Collaborate in enforcing the main thrust of law to eliminate violence in private and public life and prohibit all forms of violence against deaf persons to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.
- Ensure the rights of deaf women and victims are safeguarded under section 38 of the Act in addition to the rights guaranteed under chapter IV of the 1999 federal constitution as amended.
She commended NAPTIP for being inclusive in the area of employing sign language interpreters, but seek for more to be done to ensure inclusive society. She urged NAPTIP to focus more and mainstream Deaf Women and Girls in all their programmes.
Dr. Fatima Waziri-Azi, Director General at NAPTIP in her response pointed out that NAPTIP are renovating their built environment from the gate to the third floor especially for wheelchair users and others with physical disability to have access to NAPTIP building.
She said that they ensured the Inclusion of Sign Language Interpreters in their organization and even in their TV programme “NAPTIP on the move” for the Deaf to be able to access information about them.
She informed that NAPTIP has launched a Disability Policy to mainstream PWDs in their sector and 80% of PWDs working in NAPTIP are women.
She promised that Protection officers should be deployed to the six area council, they should ensure that there is access to justice, they work with the police and they can also work with Deaf women and girls in the six area council of Abuja.
She also informed that IEC materials is being worked on to be translated into braille material for the blind, with the help of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities NCPWD.
The DG concluded by assuring DWAI of more collaboration and engagement especially in programmes focusing on disability, GBV and health so that through DWAI, Deaf Women would be left out in all NAPTIP activities.
