In the wake of increasing climate-related challenges, the Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), with support from the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), is taking a bold step to ensure that women and girls with disabilities are not left behind in climate action. Through a dynamic capacity-building and leadership development training, AWWDI is equipping this marginalized group with the tools and knowledge needed to influence climate policies and drive sustainable change.
The Need for Inclusive Climate Action
Women and girls with disabilities often face barriers to meaningful participation in climate discussions. Limited access to information, inadequate representation in decision-making spaces, and a lack of advocacy skills prevent them from influencing policies that directly affect their lives. Recognizing this gap, AWWDI and DRF launched a project titled Disability and Gender-Inclusive Climate Action in Policies to bridge these disparities and amplify the voices of women with disabilities in climate resilience efforts.
Capacity Building for Inclusive Climate Action
A key activity within this project was a capacity-building and leadership development training session focused on inclusive climate actions, held on March 26, 2025, in FCT Abuja. This training was strategically designed with multiple objectives:
To equip participants, especially women and girls with disabilities, with the essential knowledge and skills to actively participate in inclusive climate action strategies.
To enhance the leadership capabilities of participants, enabling them to effectively advocate for disability-inclusive climate policies and secure representation in decision-making platforms.
To provide participants with practical tools and strategies for initiating and leading community-driven climate initiatives that specifically address the needs of marginalized groups.
Addressing the Needs of a Vulnerable Group
The training specifically targeted women and girls with disabilities, a group that currently faces limited awareness and participation in climate action. This marginalization is often due to a lack of accessible information, inadequate representation in decision-making spaces, and limited capacity to advocate for inclusive policies. Participants often rely on external support for climate adaptation rather than leading initiatives and face challenges in engaging with policymakers and stakeholders, which hinders their ability to influence climate-related policies.
Participant Demographics
The training saw a strong turnout, with a total of 50 participants. The gender distribution highlighted a significant representation of women, with 43 female participants (86%) compared to 7 male participants (14%). Notably, among the participants, 35 were women with disabilities (70%), underscoring the focus on empowering this specific demographic.
Empowering Voices, Driving Change
The capacity-building session was designed to be both engaging and insightful, with the core aim of providing women with disabilities with the knowledge and skills to actively engage in climate advocacy and leadership. The training aimed to empower participants to take ownership of climate-related discussions, influence policy decisions, and advocate for inclusive climate action at various levels.
Mr. Kola Jayeoba, the facilitator, delivered a thought-provoking session emphasizing the importance of leadership and strategic advocacy. He urged women with disabilities to be proactive and intentional in their advocacy efforts, focusing on developmental issues rather than merely reacting to challenges. A key message was that inclusion is a shared responsibility, with everyone, including persons with disabilities, having a vital role to play in climate action.
The training also addressed the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized groups, particularly women with disabilities, highlighting that many climate response mechanisms and policies fail to adequately consider their needs, increasing their vulnerability during climate-related disasters. Participants were encouraged to proactively address these gaps by becoming leaders and advocates for change.
The Importance of Awareness and Preparedness
Mr. Jayeoba used a practical example to illustrate the importance of awareness and preparedness, emphasizing that ignorance of existing policies or regulations does not absolve individuals of responsibility, just as being unaware of climate-related risks does not prevent disasters. He stressed the need for staying informed about climate trends and ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in emergency preparedness and response plans.
The role of information dissemination in climate resilience was another critical discussion point. The facilitator underscored the responsibility of leaders in sharing timely and accurate climate information within their communities, using the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) as an example of a source for weather forecasts that can help communities prepare for climate events.
Engaging with Key Agencies
Participants were introduced to key government agencies involved in early warning systems and climate response in Nigeria. These agencies included:
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
National Orientation Agency (NOA)
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)
National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA)
Federal Ministry of Agriculture
The facilitator emphasized the importance of advocacy groups engaging with these agencies to ensure their policies and programs are inclusive of persons with disabilities and holding them accountable for their responsibilities.
Call to Action and Empowerment
A significant aspect of the training was the call to action, encouraging participants to immediately apply their newfound knowledge. Participants were urged to share their learning with other women and girls with disabilities, sensitize key stakeholders on the rights and roles of women with disabilities in climate action, write letters to relevant agencies with their needs and recommendations, and utilize social media to amplify their advocacy efforts, tagging AWWDI and other relevant organizations.
AWWDI’s Programme Manager, Mr. Kola Jayeoba, reiterated the need for knowledge dissemination and outlined specific actions:
Sensitization of relevant stakeholders on the role and rights of women with disabilities in climate change discourse.
Writing letters from self-help groups to relevant agencies to articulate their needs and seek support.
Using social media as an advocacy tool.
AWWDI’s Executive Director, Mrs. Patience Ogolo Dickson, further reinforced these messages, urging women with disabilities to be proactive and strategic in their advocacy, contribute to the development space, and speak up on critical issues. Drawing from her personal experiences, she highlighted the importance of leadership, responsibility, and taking ownership of their roles as changemakers.
Impactful Outcomes and Key Learnings
The training proved to be highly impactful, successfully equipping participants with essential advocacy and leadership skills. Key highlights included insightful discussions on the intersection of climate change and disability, interactive experience-sharing sessions, and practical exercises focused on advocacy strategies. Participants developed action plans, pledged to engage stakeholders, and committed to using social media for awareness, demonstrating a clear intent to drive change.
The training yielded several important outcomes:
Enhanced understanding of the intersection between climate change and disability inclusion.
Strengthened leadership and advocacy skills among participants.
A strong commitment from participants to take action and step down knowledge within their communities.
Key lessons learned from the training include:
The disproportionate impact of climate change on persons with disabilities and the urgent need for inclusive policies.
The importance of strong leadership, collective action, and stakeholder engagement in effective climate advocacy.
The necessity of continuous capacity-building to empower women with disabilities and ensure long-term sustainability in disability-inclusive climate action.
Addressing Challenges and Charting the Way Forward
The training also highlighted the challenge of policymakers and climate actors often overlooking the specific needs of persons with disabilities. This underscores the need for targeted advocacy and sensitization efforts to ensure that the voices and needs of persons with disabilities are integrated into climate policies and disaster preparedness plans.
AWWDI recommends prioritizing continuous advocacy and sensitization, increasing funding and resource mobilization, and strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders to achieve long-term sustainability and meaningful change.
Conclusion
This initiative reaffirms the critical importance of inclusion in climate action and the significant leadership potential of women and girls with disabilities. A collaborative and strategic approach is essential to bridge existing gaps, foster opportunities for engagement, and ensure that climate policies are truly inclusive and responsive to the needs of all.
