By Ere-ebi Ageadh Imisi
In observance of this year’s International Women’s Day, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, in collaboration with the Prime Diamond Initiative, has undertaken a significant initiative to empower 20 women with disabilities by providing them with POS machines for business ventures.
Speaking to the media at the event, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, the Senior Special Assistant on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, highlighted the importance of International Women’s Day in recognizing and celebrating the contributions of women to nation-building.
According to Hon Isa, with the assistance of its partners his office is able to empower 18 women with disabilities and an additional cash grant of N50,000 each noting that the empowerment was to ensure that these women are self-employed and are able to enroll their children in school.
While reiterating his office’s commitment to liaising with government ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure the integration of disability-inclusive policies and programs, Hon Isa noted that he has the mandate from President Bola Tinubu to ensure that this group is carried along.
He emphasized the need to acknowledge and address the unique challenges faced by women with disabilities, including issues related to healthcare, emergencies, discrimination, and rape, which disproportionately affect them, as he charged women with disability to look beyond and focus on their potentials.
He maintained that it had become very pertinent for increased awareness on the challenges faced by women with disabilities as he called for stakeholders to champion the rights and inclusion of women with disabilities in various spheres, including political participation.
Speaking on the selection process, he noted that the women were carefully selected to ensure representation from visually impaired, hearing impaired, wheelchair-bound, and albino groups.
He therefore called upon stakeholders, duty bearers, philanthropists, and civil society organizations to collaborate with his office in advancing the agenda of inclusion and renewed hope for women with disabilities.
My key message is that women should not allow their disability to keep them depressed, there is a lot of potential in them, be resilient and more proactive in their dealings so we can champion the disability cause together.
Also speaking on the theme of inclusion for this year’s International Women’s Day, Chinasa Onukegbe, Founder of the Prime Diamond Initiative for Community Health, noted that her main purpose for collaboration with the commission was to financially empower these women with disabilities.
She explained the rationale behind empowering women with disabilities through POS micro-enterprises, emphasizing the importance of financial empowerment for sustainable livelihoods.
Onukegbe emphasized the need to bridge the gap and address the exclusion and marginalization faced by the disability community, stressing that they deserve equal opportunities and support.
The event underscored the importance of empowering women with disabilities and integrating them into economic and social systems to foster resilience, independence, and inclusivity.”
