Disability Rights Advocacy Center, DRAC has called for collective action against discrimination towards women and girls with Disabilities in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of the center, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu made the call in a press statement released in commemsoration of the International Women’s Day.
The statement read in part “International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity, and raise awareness about women’s equality. The IWD 2021 campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge.
“A challenged world is an alert world,” says the organisers of the International Women’s Day global collective movement. “Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequity. We can choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.”
“This IWD 2021, all of us are being asked to “raise our hands” and “call out aspects that are unhelpful to all women, including those with disabilities, removing the barriers that may negatively impact their experience in accessing essential social services thereby building an inclusive and equitable community for them to thrive in.
“With the emergence of the Coronavirus pandemic, women and girls with disabilities who are one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups have been disproportionately hit, facing a higher risk of gender-based violence and exclusion from emergency and social protection services.
“As a disabled people’s and women-led organization, DRAC has chosen to challenge this lopsided response by building a growing community of men, women, boys and girls, committed to taking action against gender and disability biases, while ensuring inclusive engagements and consultations with stakeholders and beneficiaries towards greater inclusion.
“A collective action and shared ownership for challenging gender bias and driving social inclusion is what makes International Women’s Day impactful; as a more inclusive world necessitates transforming how we behave and how we #choosetochallenge not just systemic inequalities but our own biases too.
“At DRAC, we believe we are at a pivotal point in building a collaborative and supportive network across Nigeria that is inclusive and helps women with disabilities to maximise their talent and ambitions whatever their stage of life.
“Happy International Women’s Day.”