The Network of Women with Disabilities (NWD), in collaboration with prominent disability rights organisations, has launched a strong advocacy campaign across Nigeria’s five geopolitical zones, urging the National Assembly to explicitly include women with disabilities in the ongoing review of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill.
Leading this push is Ms. Lois Auta, Global President of the Network, who, alongside other state-level leaders, submitted memoranda at all five Zonal Public Hearings organised by the National Assembly. At each hearing, Ms. Auta made a bold and consistent case for the allocation of a portion of the proposed additional seats for women in the National Assembly to be reserved for women with disabilities. She described this as a historic move aimed at ensuring genuine representation, equity, and constitutional justice.
The hearings, which formed part of the Senate’s constitutional review process, were held in Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Sokoto, Bauchi, and Enugu States. During these engagements, NWD State Coordinators, backed by allied organisations, passionately delivered a unified message that women with disabilities must not be left behind in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Ms. Auta emphasised that the demand for inclusion is not a request for sympathy but a call for justice. She insisted that women with disabilities deserve to have their voices constitutionally protected and reflected in the nation’s legislative framework.
The Network is also advocating for inclusive language in legislation, political party reforms that support leadership opportunities for women with disabilities, and the creation of accessible political spaces. It further calls for the establishment of support mechanisms that will enhance the participation of women with disabilities in the electoral process.
The NWD and its partners are now urging lawmakers to act with urgency, determination, and a sense of justice to guarantee inclusive governance and ensure that no one is left behind.
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