by Chris Agbo
Network of Disabled Women on Friday in Abuja organized a media chat with key National Political Actors on the participation of women and girls with disabilities in the political process. It is an event supported by Global Affairs Canada and Action Aid Nigeria to enhance the participation of the women and girls with disabilities in political process.
The member of the board of trustees of the group, Barrister Catherine Edeh in her opening remark said that women and girls with disabilities are highly discriminated, marginalized and disfranchised. Women in general face discrimination but women with disabilities face more because even among women, women with disabilities are not seen as if they are also women. All these discriminations have made the challenges of women with disabilities multiple. Discrimination on the grounds of being a woman and discrimination on the grounds of disability. The men believe that a woman’s role is to give birth and cook for the family that’s why in the southeast where she come from, when a woman speaks, they will say WOMAN enter INSIDE. We need to promote justice and fairness and women with disabilities need all the encouragements they can get to excel in life.
The representative of INEC chairman, Mrs. Blessing Obidiegwu, the head of gender, INEC said that INEC is dedicated to create enabling environment for inclusion of groups including women. Speaking further, she said that it is a common knowledge that women especially women with disabilities performed abysmally at the last general election. It is as a result of barriers faced by women especially women and girls with disabilities. INEC has constantly stress the need to promote women participation in politics including women and girls with disabilities in its engagement with relevant stakeholders, political parties, OPDs, development partners and the media. INEC has recently reformed its processes and procedures to conform with international best practices in stakeholders’ engagement in the electoral process. An important area of the reform includes participation of vulnerable groups such as widening access for the PWDs in the electoral and political process. INEC have worked with OPDs to capture disaggregated data of PWDs across the country, in ensuring the mainstreaming of disability issues in INEC activities, a capacity building programme are being organized for INEC disability desk officers in all the states and local government offices. INEC in order to mainstream PWDs into the political parties restructure, leadership etc have organized roundtable meetings. INEC has developed a framework to reduce the barriers PWDs faced in the electoral process such as braille ballot guide for the blind, provide posters EC 30 for the deaf, provision of form EC40f to gather disaggregated data for PWDs, their type of disability and gender, procured and provided magnified glasses for people with albinism. INEC with the support of its development partners trained CSO and OPDs on how to carry out voter education.
She urges organizations who have the same vision with INEC to come front because they are ready to work with any organization which its agenda geared towards making the electoral process better. She also urges women with disabilities to be courageous, work with the media to get their voices heard because it is their right to be mainstreamed properly into the political process.
The representative of ECES, Sylvester Soho commended the Network of Disabled Women for this initiative of putting the women and girls through the political process. He said that ECES has been in constant support to INEC to enhance the development of electoral process in Nigeria. He also said they are committed to improvement of the participation of the vulnerable groups in the political and electoral process. They are dedicated to ensure that NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND in decision making sphere especially ensuring that women and girls with disabilities are equal represented in the electoral process, ensuring that all barriers that prevent women with disabilities are removed and to ensure that women with disabilities are involved in all development programmes.
Mrs. Ene Ede, Coordinator, VAPP said that Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act VAPP act is an act of National Assembly, a strong document to hold everybody and organizations accountable, it criminalizes all forms of violence including political violence. Section 23 stipulated that political violence is punishable on conviction 4 years’ imprisonment or fine of five hundred thousand naira or both. The media should use this act to hold the political actors accountable for political violence.
The CEO of Network for Disabled women in presentation commended President Muhammadu Buhari for creating a National Commission for People with disabilities and Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Haijah Sadiya Umar Farouq for aiding the process. She informed that the data of representation of women and girls with disabilities in the political leadership is zero because you cannot find any woman with disability in any political leadership in Nigeria. She said that she made effort to contest at the last general election and the gap between and the winner of the election and her was almost 17, 000 voters. She urges women with disabilities to take the bull by the horn, join a political party, make themselves relevant and present themselves for elective positions. She advised them not to be afraid of presenting themselves, make appropriate use of the media, activate the process of crowd funding to finance their campaign. She asked them to be strong and bold to seek for political power because power is not given but it is taken so they should be ready to take power.
The representative of the Chairman of IPAC, the legal adviser, Chukwudi Ezeobika, said that the recently reviewed conduct of code of the IPAC, the issue of gender and disability dominated the discussion, the code of conduct now stipulated a special office reserved exclusively for persons with disabilities. As an umbrella body of all political parties in Nigeria, they have mandate their members to comply to the code of conduct. So many political parties have enshrined it in their constitution. IPAC have also ensures some level of inclusivity of persons with disabilities in their activities. There are some political parties not the big two APC and PDP that can offer you free nomination form if you are a person with disability who wish to contest. That’s why multi-party system should be encouraged in Nigeria to free up the political shape. There is freedom of expression enshrined in our constitution, people should be allowed to exercise their rights. He encouraged the PWDs to join political parties and participate actively because it is only when you are inside that you will be heard.
IPAC, the legal adviser, Chukwudi Ezeobika
The event also witnessed the full participation of media houses, NTA, Plus TV, AIT, The Qualitative Magazine (TQM), women with disabilities drawn from different clusters, the blind, physical disability, the deaf, persons with albinism, etc.
LOIS AUTA, The Chief Executive Officer Presentation at the Event(Video)
