Abuja — The Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) has called for the integration of disability and gender inclusion into Nigeria’s climate action and governance frameworks.
The call was made during a One-Day Joint Policy Advocacy and Roundtable Discussion held in Abuja with key stakeholders, including members of the National Assembly Committees on Climate Change and Disability, representatives from ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), civil society organisations (CSOs), and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs).
Speaking on the theme “Joint Policy Advocacy on Climate Change and Disability,” Mrs. Patience Ogolo-Dickson, Executive Director of AWWDI, stressed the urgent need to address the disproportionate impact of climate change on persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls with disabilities.
She explained that although climate change affects everyone, its consequences are often more severe for persons with disabilities due to barriers in accessibility, limited access to timely information, and exclusion from decision-making processes. Mrs. Ogolo-Dickson also pointed out that disability issues are frequently marginalised in climate policies and funding mechanisms, while climate information and disaster warnings are not always accessible to all. She further noted that the lack of coordination between the climate and disability sectors, coupled with insufficient disaggregated data, continues to hinder inclusive policy-making and effective response strategies.
To bridge these gaps, she recommended stronger collaboration among relevant stakeholders, including OPDs, women’s rights organisations, MDAs, and environmental NGOs. She emphasised the importance of incorporating gender and disability perspectives into all climate-related frameworks and ensuring the representation of women with disabilities in climate committees and adaptation programmes. She also called for increased public awareness through accessible campaigns and the establishment of data systems that capture the real experiences of persons with disabilities.
“We must think and take action for inclusive, gender-responsive, and disability-sensitive climate action. Women and girls with disabilities should not be seen as victims but as active agents of change in building a climate-resilient Nigeria,” she said.
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