TQM report,
Voice of Disability Initiative VDI on 1st December, 2021 paid an Advocacy visit to the Secretary of the State Government ( SSG) Nasarawa State.
The visit is part of VDI project supported by Disability Rights Fund DRF and the aim of the visit is to galvanize support of key stakeholders within the decision making circle to promote the rights and fortunes of persons with disabilities especially women with disabilities in Nasarawa State.
The CEO, VDI, Barr. Catherine Edeh in her speech shared her experience as a deaf lady, what women with disabilities are experiencing and the abuses such as rape, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking, economic abuse and many other things that they are faced with because of the fact that they are women and also women with disabilities.
Speaking further, she shared some practical experiences from a similar project carried out by VDI in Adamawa State. How a deaf woman was given a token by a military personnel and he raped her on the process, by the time VDI met her in one of their events, she has given birth out of the incident and she also contracted HIV from the rape incident. Now she is breastfeeding a child and she is not receiving any medical attention. She may have infected that child with HIV. She never got justice from the rape because it was reported but the case didn’t see the light of the day.
“It is based on incident like this that we are seeking the collaboration of stakeholders like you to help us get justice for incidences like this and also to safeguard the rights of women and girls with disabilities”.
She also said that Inclusive education should be encouraged in Nasarawa State, because when children with disabilities are learning in the same place with their counterparts without disabilities, it will go a long to reduce discrimination.
“We are human beings and protecting our rights gives us a sense of belonging and it will enhance our productivity, contributing to the development of the society”.
Â
The SSG, Abdullahi Umar Elayo in his response appreciated the VDI for choosing Nasarawa State for this all important intervention and pledge the support of the State Government because over the years, Nasarawa State have been disability friendly.
He said that Nasarawa State developed a culture of Disability Inclusiveness from the time of Tanko Al-Makura as the governor of the state, ironically he is also a person with disability because he can only hear from the aid of a gadget.
Tanko Al-Makura built state of the art special school here in Lafia coupled with other programmes targeting persons with disabilities. Governor Sule has taken the same step and have been encouraging many programmes towards improving the wellbeing of persons with disabilities.
On Inclusive Education, the State Government bought into the idea and are working to see how to make many schools Inclusive because it is the way to go.
He encouraged VDI to present their demands in written form and the government will be willing to work with them.
The team later presented VDI branded T-Shirt on the project to the SSG.
TQM learnt that the VDI team also visited the Ministry of Justice, National Human Right Commission, Ministry of Education and Permanent Secretary.
Â
