To commemorate with the just celebrated International Women Day, the founder and CEO of CEDAR SEED Foundation, Ms Lois Auta, took to her social handle to pen her innate thoughts as the world celebrate womanhood, INN reports
She says, “Yes, we might have lost our sight, hearing or the function of some of our physical organs, but we have not lost our womanhood, like every other woman, we have emotions, feelings and can be heartbroken, we have the heart to love and the capacity to receive love. Though we have lost the ability to walk, see or hear, we have not lost the ability to think, articulate and generate fantastic business ideas.”
“We have the abilities to provide fitting solutions to the various problems affecting our world today, some of us are CEOs, MDs and captains of business organizations and others are making differences in social work and other fields of endeavour. We are making impact in our little ways, we are women too.”
“We are first and foremost women before our various challenges. We are not our challenges, every woman has her own challenges some are physical while others are hidden, they are challenges all the same. We did not bring disability upon ourselves, yet the society treats us unfairly with prejudice, label us ‘disabled’, and excluded us from the affairs of other women, policies and programmes, as if we are not women. We had to fight our way through life, we had to work harder than everyone else, and we had to shout louder to be noticed. We are strong, dogged, tough, resilient yet soft hearted. Yes we have challenges, but we are women too”, she said.
“Other women are not labelled with their challenges as identifiers, but known and identified with their achievements and successes. But not so with us, we are first seen as disabled and labelled so. The difference between us and other women is that we have special abilities to face stigma, marginalization and discrimination without buckling, we have special abilities to face exclusion and still remain positive and strong, and we have special abilities to conquer our disabilities to achieve successes in our different fields. We are women too.”
Decrying sexual abuse and violence that are the lots of many women she says, “The waves of sexual abuse and domestic violence hit us too. We are often confronted with the harsh reality of a male dominated world that seeks to enslave the woman and sees her as an object instead of a human being with feelings, dreams, vision and aspirations. What affect every other woman affects us too only that ours is in multiple folds.”
Ms Auta pointed out that many women with disabilities have made and are making their marks in the sand of time. They are breaking and making new records in different fields. Women with disabilities, like other women, have placed the womenfolk in the hall of fame with their outstanding achievements.
She took time to recognize the impact of notable women with disabilities alongside her very self.
Lois Auta, the founder and CEO of Cedar Seed Foundation, has received local and global awards for her brilliant initiatives and projects. One of the awards was the most valuable player (MVP) for promoting disabled sports globally in Arizona, U.S.A in 2014 by linking sports and communities. She was hosted among 30 Nigerians by President Mohammadu Buhari for their contribution in technology, innovation and creativity. Lois got a presidential handshake from former President Barack Obama, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, she was in the list of most outstanding youths in Nigeria by former President Goodluck Jonathan. She received two handshakes in 2015 and 2016 from President Mohammadu Buhari. She is a Mandela Washington Fellow, a 2014 vice president of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association in Nigeria. She is presently the elected vice president of Africa change makers network. 2016 Ashoka Changemaker Scholar, 2016 Aso Villa Demo Day Finalist, Lois Auta, though in a wheelchair, she placed Nigeria on global map as the only Nigerian who made it to the 2017 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and the first Female African to receive such award. She is a support staff with NNPC and the co- founder of e- ability platform. Lois also sits on the board of so many reputable organizations.
Another mighty woman of valour with disability is Grace Jerry, the Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) cum Miss Wheelchair Nigeria, a singer and a strong disability rights advocate who has fought for the rights of persons with disability in Nigeria and beyond.
President Barack Obama thanks human rights advocate, African singer Grace Alache Jerry of Nigeria after she introduced him at the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Mandela Washington Fellowship Presidential Summit in Washington, Monday, Aug. 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The great Freky Andy, founded FAECARE Foundation many years ago to advocate for children with disabilities, she is a global disability figure for the brilliant ideas she is working on with her team. She is also a 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow.
Furthermore, she mentioned, among others,
Barr. Mrs Catherine Edeh is a great activist with so much passion for deaf children. She is the founder of Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI), a 2015 Mandela Washington Fellow and the first female deaf lawyer in Nigeria.
Mrs Helen Alashe, the FCT coordinator for Deaf Women Association, 2015 WILD Fellow and she is doing amazing projects for deaf women in Nigeria.
Barr. Apolmida Haruna, the founder of Haly Hope Foundation (HHF) and she has done exceedingly great in the Nigeria Disability Community.
Dr. Irene Patrick of Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC), she is making things happen for women with disabilities in the sector of health.
Another disability icon is the president of JONAPWD who is the first female president of the umbrella body of disability groups in Nigeria and belong to many networks internationally. She remain a shero in Nigeria Disability Community.
Ms Auta equally praised staunch women in the persons of Dr Toyin Aderemi, who is the country representative of CBM in Nigeria, since she came into the office she has empowered many persons with disabilities particularly women with disability organizations.
Mrs Patience Ogolo is the founder of AWWDI who has touched many lives of women with disabilities positively.
Jessica Cox is another amazing and beautiful soul of a woman. She is the world’s first ever licensed armless pilot, as well as the first armless black-belt in the American Taekwondo Association.
Eulogizing, she says, “We are proud of you all for your passion, resilience, intelligence, impact and achievements. All these great achievers are women too. We need to be recognised, accepted and appreciated as women too.”
“These great women mentioned above are women with disabilities but they have achieved what many have never thought of. They are faced with triple jeopardy in their daily lives, first as a woman, second as a woman with disability and lastly, the society is not friendly to her’’, she said as she dedicate her post to all women with disabilities world-wide.
Inclusive News Network