Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) has successfully concluded its 16-month project on engaging in inclusive laws, policies, and programs to reduce gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities. The project, which was supported by the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), reached over 500 women with disabilities, 100 women without disabilities, 50 men with disabilities, 28 men without disabilities, and 20 organisations of persons with disabilities, as well as 50 MDAs and stakeholders.
The project closure event, which took place on December 28th, 2023, at Edo House FCT, witnessed a massive attendance of participants, beneficiaries, partners, and supporters who celebrated the achievements and impacts of the project. The event featured testimonies from various stakeholders who spoke on how the project influenced the creation of disability units or departments in their establishments, such as the Civil Defense and the Legal Aid Council. The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities also shared how the project informed their programs targeting women and girls with disabilities.
The project also produced a document on the findings on policies, acts, and mandates of MDAs aligned with women with disabilities and gender-based violence, which is now reference material for policymakers and duty-bearers. The project also empowered women and girls with disabilities to be bold and brave to speak out on issues of gender-based violence affecting them.
The participants expressed their gratitude to DRF for providing the platform to advocate for women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria. They also commended AWWDI for its leadership and commitment to advancing the rights and inclusion of women and girls with disabilities. They called for more support and collaboration to sustain the gains of the project and scale up its impact.
