By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Cedar Seed Foundation, has tasked governments at all levels to expedite the implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act, of 2018.
THE PUNCH reports that section 29 of the law stipulates a minimum appointment of a five percent quota for persons with disabilities with emphasis on women.
The foundation’s project manager, Mr Shedrach Danladi, made the call while briefing newsmen during a rally by women with disabilities in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Danladi explained that women with disabilities face a myriad of challenges when navigating the electoral and political landscapes.
He said the lack of proper implementation of existing legal frameworks had led to the continuous exclusion of women with disabilities from electoral processes and governance structures.
According to him, informed and proactive measures were needed to achieve and sustain the goal of inclusivity in Nigeria’s democratic process.
“It is sad that women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria are at a zero percent level of participation in governance.
“It is imperative we expedite implementation of Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, clause 54 of the Electoral Act 2022 and section 30 of the Nigeria Disability Act 2018.
“We need to achieve this to ensure no one, including women with disabilities, is left behind in political participation and decision-making processes,” he said.
He noted that the foundation had launched a Disability Inclusion in Governance project to push for the political participation of persons with disabilities.
Also speaking, Mr Habila Achi, chairman of Persons with Disabilities in Southern Kaduna commended the foundation for championing the cause of its members.
Achi appealed to those in leadership positions to consider persons with disabilities in their appointments to give them a sense of belonging.
PUNCH also reports that the women carried placards with inscriptions such as “Women with disabilities matter too in nation building, include us now”, and “We are capable, stop the bias and discrimination” among others.
The event was organized by Cedar Seed Foundation in partnership with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre with funding support from the MacArthur Foundation
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