The Chairperson of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Edo State, Ann Ujugo, has lamented that men do not ask for their hands in marriage, leaving them single all through their lives.
She described the situation as ‘marital discrimination.’
Ojugo, who stated this in Benin, Edo State, on Tuesday at a press briefing to commemorate International Women’s Day, said other challenges they face include lack of job opportunities, discrimination in schools and in market places.
She said, “One of the most difficult challenges women with disabilities face is marital discrimination as no man, even men with disabilities, come to ask for our hands in marriage.
“Some will even ask if you feel like a woman. For a woman with disability, emotional discrimination is a double tragedy for us. “Another one is education. Some people don’t like sending their daughters to school, not to talk about when the person has disabilities.”
A member of JONAPWD, Miss Janet Omole, said the day was remarkable because it was a day for them to add their voices to that of millions of Nigerian women and also to appreciate the place of women within the global community.
She said, “The biggest emphasis around women’s rights in the last few decades has been gender equality in schools, workplaces, and other areas, which is highlighted in Goal V of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“However, today in Nigeria society, underrepresentation, unbalanced education, pervasive social norms, employment discrimination, and physical or sexual violence are some of the biggest challenges women and girls still face.
“Women with disabilities face double of these challenges worsened by the social and cultural viewpoints of the society towards persons with disabilities and disability related issues.”