Women with Disabilities (WWDs) have called on the government, public and private sector, institutions, civil society, media and donors to prioritize the inclusion and participation of women with disabilities (WD) in politics and governance.
WWDs under the auspices of the Network of Women with Disabilities (NWD) made the call during a press conference organized in partnership with the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) under its Improving Electoral Integrity and Accountability (IEIA) project supported by MacArthur Foundation.
The press conference with the theme “No Credible Election Without us” was aimed at presenting the charter of demands of WWDs from the incoming administration at states and National levels.
The charter of Demands cuts across key sectors like public and private sector employment, political parties, the legislature, INEC, inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), traditional and new media, economic, political, social, and physical security, Civil Society, and development partners.
While presenting the charter of demands of WWDs, Assumpta Khalil, the Public Relations officer of the Network, said many barriers, daily challenges and limitations inform the development of the charter of demands.
Khalil mentioned that WWDs have been left behind and sidelined for too long, and requested that such should change.
The objective of the NWD is to advance the promotion of gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) as an index of credible elections and popular participation in governance
The women also held a rally to amplify the voices of women with disabilities who are usually excluded from elections and governance in Nigeria.
