Mrs. Blessing Okorie has raised an urgent call for action, highlighting the daily struggles and injustices faced by women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria. She urged both the government and citizens to stop treating them as if they were an endangered species, drawing attention to the numerous challenges they encounter due to societal neglect and discrimination.
Okorie, who serves as the President of Women Living with Disabilities in Imo State, made this heartfelt plea on Wednesday during an interactive media session. The event, organized by the Center for the Right to Health (CRH), was part of a three-day residential training workshop for select journalists based in Imo State.
CRH, a non-governmental organization devoted to eradicating violence against women and girls with disabilities, hosted the intensive workshop at Gold Crown Hotel, Owerri. The organization is dedicated to promoting zero tolerance for violence and discrimination, particularly towards this vulnerable group.
During the session, Okorie passionately expressed the plight of women with disabilities in Nigeria. “Because we’re physically challenged, we can’t move around easily. People insult, abuse, and molest us as if we’re third-class citizens. We endure psychological and emotional torture every day, not just from words but from the way society treats us,” she lamented. “In other countries, those with our challenges are respected, honored, and cared for. But here in Nigeria, we are humiliated, isolated, and treated like we don’t matter.”
Okorie emphasized the need to educate Nigerians on the fact that there is “ability in disability,” stating that people with disabilities are equally created by God for a purpose. “We don’t seek pity; we seek respect and an enabling environment where we can thrive. I want to sincerely thank CRH for their relentless efforts in advocating for our rights. Only God can repay them,” she tearfully remarked.
While commending CRH for championing their cause, Okorie stressed that women and girls with disabilities deserve to be treated with dignity and included in all areas of life. She also challenged the negative stereotypes, insisting that society must stop viewing them as burdens. “After all, every person has some form of limitation; ours just happen to be more visible.”
Okorie further expressed her frustration with the lack of infrastructure that accommodates their needs, particularly in public and private buildings that often lack ramps for easy access. She added that their suffering is worsened by discrimination within families and their exclusion from various opportunities in life.
“We have the potential to uplift Nigeria’s society if given the chance. We are intelligent, educated, and capable, often more so than those who oppress us,” she said. “All we ask for is respect, equal opportunities for employment, and to be treated as the dignified human beings we are. Unfortunately, society has inflicted immense emotional and psychological pain on us.”