YOLA, Nigeria – May 8, 2025 – The Network for Women With Disabilities (NWD) has made a compelling call for the urgent disaggregation of data by gender, age, and disability as a critical foundation for meaningful inclusion in peacebuilding and development efforts in Adamawa State.
The demand was made during an advocacy dialogue organized by UN Women, with support from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, which brought together government officials, lawmakers, civil society actors, and women with disabilities to explore strategies for integrating disability rights into Nigeria’s Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda.
Data Is Visibility, and Visibility Is Power
Mrs. Lois Auta, President of the Network for Women With Disabilities, emphasized:
“Without proper disaggregated data, we remain invisible in both planning and implementation. We cannot plan for those we do not count, and we cannot include those we do not see.”
Auta further stressed that disaggregated data is a justice issue, not a mere technical detail. It is vital for identifying gaps, allocating resources equitably, and ensuring that women with disabilities are no longer sidelined in peacebuilding and humanitarian programs.
Concrete Recommendations for Inclusive Governance
At the end of the dialogue, participants issued a communique with bold recommendations to the Adamawa State Government, particularly the Ministries of Budget and Planning, Women Affairs, and Health. The communique called for:
- Institutionalizing data disaggregation mechanisms across government agencies;
- Ensuring data collection tools capture disability indicators aligned with international best practices;
- Partnering with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) for community-based data collection.
Participants agreed that inclusive peace and security must go beyond policy statements to systems that reflect the lived experiences of all citizens, especially women and girls with disabilities.
“We Want Decisions With Us, Not For Us”
During a panel moderated by Mrs. Auta, speakers from the Adamawa State Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Justice, House of Assembly, JONAPWD, FIDA, and other civil society groups discussed the systemic exclusion of women with disabilities from policymaking and peacebuilding processes.
“We are not interested in tokenism. We are talking about transformative inclusion. It begins with data, it extends to policy, and it ends in power,” Auta declared.
Demand for Operationalizing Disability Commission
One of the strongest demands from the communique was the immediate signing and operationalization of the Adamawa State Disability Commission Bill. According to participants, the commission would serve as a coordinating and enforcement body for disability-inclusive policies across sectors.
“We’ve waited long enough,” said Amina Buba, co-founder of the Adamawa Women Peace Initiative. “Our patience is not infinite.”
The communique also reaffirmed that inclusion is not charity—it is a legal right backed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act.
Budget for Inclusion or Plan for Exclusion?
Participants urged Ministries of Health, Education, Budget and Planning, and Justice to allocate dedicated, gender-responsive, and disability-specific budgets for peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts.
“Money talks,” said Mary Yakubu of the HeForShe Network. “If your budget doesn’t include us, your plan doesn’t.”
Real Stories, Real Struggles
A mother shared how her blind daughter, a survivor of assault, was denied legal aid at three police stations. Her story, and many like it, revealed the systemic injustice faced by women with disabilities.
To address this, participants recommended the creation of specialized disability units in police departments, ministries, and judicial bodies, staffed by trained professionals to respond to the needs of persons with disabilities.
“Impunity is a second wound,” said a FIDA representative. “Justice must be accessible, not selective.”
Beyond Ramps—Toward Real Accessibility
The dialogue also demanded accessibility audits of public institutions in Adamawa. This includes ramps, sign language interpreters, braille signage, and inclusive communication systems.
“Accessibility is not a luxury—it is a prerequisite for inclusion,” declared the NWD.
Investing in Disability Peace Leaders
Looking to the future, the Network advocated for capacity-building programs in leadership, mediation, and conflict resolution to empower women with disabilities to lead peace processes—not just observe them.
Education, Healthcare, and Human Dignity
Beyond peacebuilding, the communique called on the government to guarantee unhindered access to education and healthcare for women and girls with disabilities—critical sectors often excluded from inclusive development plans.
“We’re Not Begging. We’re Building.”
Mrs. Auta and the Network of Women With Disabilities are determined to dismantle systems of exclusion. Their message was clear: women with disabilities are not asking for charity or pity—they are demanding justice and equity.
“We don’t need to be empowered. We are already powerful,” said Halima John. “What we need is space to use that power.”
And if the system won’t offer that space?
“They’ll take it.”
Conclusion: Inclusion Must Be Intentional
The dialogue in Yola was not ceremonial—it was a powerful declaration of intent. If Nigeria’s Women, Peace, and Security agenda is to have true impact, it must center the voices of women with disabilities—not as afterthoughts, but as co-architects of peace.
