TQM Report,
Inclusive Friends Association(IFA) in Lagos on Saturday completed the induction of the third cohort on the Amplifying voices project as Advocates against Gender/Disability Based Violence.
The Amplifying Voices Project, a project funded by Ford Foundation began in February 2021 with the objective of training young persons (Males and Females) with disabilities from selected states of the Federation as Fellows to combat Gender Based Violence perpetrated against Persons with disabilities through dogged and strategic Advocacies.
In a press release signed by Grace Jerry, The Executive Director, Inclusive Friends Association, she said that the rationale for this methodology is that Advocates will be more comfortable engaging in a familiar terrain, and their audience will be more attuned to accept the message which will result in a paradigm shift from what was hitherto obtainable to what we hope things could be like.
She said that based on previous engagements with Persons with disabilities, we came to the realization that Discrimination, Stigma and Stereotypes play significant roles in building the Silence culture among survivors of various forms of violence. This fear has resulted in cases of violence against persons with disabilities largely unreported and has also rendered such survivors voiceless and invisible.
“IFA therefore saw the need to build a network of youth advocates with disabilities and improve their capacity to spotlight and innovatively address incidences of gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities across the country”.
“Two youth advocates with disabilities were selected from two states in each of the six geopolitical zones with the highest cases of GBV recorded during the COVID 19 pandemic”.
“The selected states are: Abia state, Anambra state, Bauchi state, Benue state, Cross Rivers state, Ekiti state, Gombe state, Katsina state, Lagos state, Plateau state, Rivers state, Sokoto state and FCT Abuja”.
She also said that in March and June 2021, they have organized a five-day intensive training for all the selected advocates with disabilities (COHORT ONE AND TWO) with key topics on gender and development, advocacy, disability and gender-based violence, etc and the trained Advocates have carried out several activities ranging from Online and print publications to Radio/Tv appearances, community and faith-based sensitization, Advocacy visits to traditional and political leaders as well as to various tiers of educational institutions and these engagements are documented accordingly.
She informed that through these intervention, there has been some key findings, such as Many PWDs and their families and Caregivers are ignorant about what amounts to violence, Unruly attitude of Law enforcement agencies towards cases on Disability Based Violence, A large number of persons without disabilities indifferent about what is happening to persons with disabilities, PWDs are very poor to the extent that they have to endure any unjust treatment meted on them, and a lot of PWDs are illiterate, they lack capacity that can enable them become independent and move out of the cadre of chronic vulnerability.
She recommended that more PWDs, their families and caregivers should be enlightened on what Disability Based Violence is, The Law Enforcement Agencies Capacity should be built on disability issues, Media Outfits should make conscious effort as Corporate Social Responsibility to report disability issues in order to enlighten the public, Government should strengthen social Protection systems and establish disability friendly programmes to cater for the needs of persons with disabilities. Creating employment opportunities for PWDs, make education free for PWDs within the school age and build their capacity around defense mechanisms and how to seek redress.
She said that will drastically reduce the silence culture among survivors because apart from the lack of resources or knowing the appropriate quarters to channel their complaints, a lot of persons with disabilities are afraid of not being able to express themselves or properly articulate their issues and would rather keep silent than embarrass themselves.
She reminded that Disability Based Violence is gradually rising to a point where it becomes a menace to society and this is fueled by the barriers highlighted in the findings.
At the end of the training the third cohort, Advocates were issued their certificates by the Executive Director IFA, Ms. Grace Jerry.
A flame has been ignited and these smart Advocates are ready to use all resources within their disposal to combat Gender/Disability Based Violence in Lagos state and wherever they find themselves.
