Disability Inclusive Development

Persons with disabilities are disproportionately likely to live within poverty, and too often lack access to education, health care, employment opportunities, housing, social protection system, justice, cultural expression and participation in political life. Their ability to participate in the society are usually frustrated because physical environment, transportation, information and communication systems are not accessible. what can be done to ensure that all aspects of national development efforts are inclusive of persons with disabilities?  Disability leads to poverty and poverty increases the likelihood of disability in a number of ways. Because of the relationship between disability and poverty, the integration of disability issues in development is critical for the elimination of poverty, achievement of social inclusion, equitable, fair and sustainable development.

Here are key elements to disability inclusive development. First is Inclusive Education which specifies that children with disabilities should be included in general education as well as in early childhood quality learning, and that accessibility of educational infrastructure and provision of reasonable accommodation be ensured.

Inclusive Health Care services require accessible buildings and equipment, appropriately trained health care providers and accessible information. In the case of  children with disabilities, comprehensive early assessment should be provided and referral systems should be in place.

Access to Decent Work and Employment for persons with disabilities require access to vocational training, skills development,  and other employment support  programs funded by the governments. Decent work opportunities in the rural and informal economies where persons with disabilities frequently seek their livelihood should also be improved.

Inclusive Social Protection requires availability to persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others and that social protection systems take the specific requirements  of persons with disabilities into account in benefits.

Women with disabilities face multiple forms of discrimination, which places them at higher risk of gender based violence, sexual abuse, neglect, maltreatment and exploitation.  They also experience heightened levels of exclusion from development and are often among the most marginalized segments within societies, facing significant difficulties in attaining access to adequate housing, health service, vocational training and employment. It has been broadly recognized by the international community that achievement of gender equality is critical to sustainable development. Equality between men and women is a fundamental principle of the CRDP (article(g))  which further specifies that state parties are to take all necessary appropriate measures to ensure the full development and empowerment of women for the purpose of guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedom.

Why We Need More Women In Governance

Women would sure make better leaders because they have more compassion and empathy, and their negotiation style is more inclusive. Modern ideas of transformation in leadership are more in line with qualities women generally share such as empathy, inclusiveness and open negotiation style. Women leadership also help drive direct change in structural policies including parental leave, child care and pay. Women leadership can impact positively on the economic growth of any country the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has noted that women typically invest a higher proportion of their income in their families and communities than men. Women are closely involved with the local community life therefore they can easily advocate for the interest of the communities.
As mothers and nurturers of the family, women would make policies that benefit children and families in general, they would promote children's right, and women's right legislation. The need to increase women participation in governance is urgent as millions of live are threatened by poverty, food insecurity and climate change, and only women who are critical to finding solutions to the effect of these problems can passionately work to improve and promote well being.  

Impact Of International Women's Day On Women's Political Inclusiveness in Nigeria

The 2017 International women's day was celebrated around the world on March 8, 2017. It was a day to celebrate the achievement of women around the world and to call out to necessary stake holders to take action to overcome the entrenched prejudice, support engagement and promote gender equality and women empowerment in Nigeria as well as join the rest of the world to help forge a better working world, a more gender inclusive world. There was a huge advocacy call around the world to end gender discrimination in commemoration  of the 2017 International Women's Day

In Nigeria, the House of Senate commemorates International Women's Day and resolved to call on government at all levels to give women a quota in all elective offices, and to mandate the committee on Women Affairs to look into the domestication of the Violence Against Persons Act in all states of the federation and report back to the senate.

The House of Representative accordingly resolved to support engagement and activism, promote gender equality and women empowerment in Nigeria and be bold for change to help forge a more gender inclusive world.

The importance of International Women's Day celebration therefore, cannot be over emphasized, it serves to promote gender parity. Hopefully, we would be having a better Nigeria, where more women are in the corridors of power, to facilitate and enhance the the rights of  the Nigerian woman, review legislation, and promote all the laws that favors the women and end gender discrimination.

Ordeal of Displaced Women and Girls in Nigeria

Human right watch once documented sexual abuse including rape and exploitation of 43 women and girls living in internally displaced person's [IDP] camp in Maiduguri, Borno state capital.

Mausi Segun, senior Nigeria Researcher at Human Right Watch said it's disgraceful and outrageous that people who should protect these women and girls are attacking and abusing them.

Four internally displaced persons reported they were dragged and raped, while 37 were coerced into sex through false marriage promises, and maternal assistance. Many of those coerced into sex said they were abandoned if they became pregnant. They as well as their children eventually suffer discrimination, abuse and stigmatization from other camp residents.

Internally Displaced Persons living in the camp get irregular supply of food, clothing, medicine and other essentials, as well as restricted movement in the camps in Maiduguri which compounds the vulnerability of women and girls living in the camp. Widowed women and unaccompanied orphaned girls are vulnerable to rape and sexual exploitation by camp officials, soldiers, police, members of the civilian vigilante groups and other Maiduguri  residents.

A woman in Dalori camp said residents gets meal only once a day. She said she accepted advances of a soldier who proposed marriage because she needed help in feeding her four children. He disappeared five months later when she told him she was pregnant.Aid workers  in the camp had warned since early 2016 that displaced women and girls in the camp have been forced to exchange sex for basic necessities.

A 16 year old girl was raped by a vigilante group member in charge of distributing aid in the camp. She said, he knew my parents were dead because he is also from Baga. He would bring me food items, so i believed he really wanted to marry me, but he was also asking me for sex. I always told him i was too young. The day he raped me, he offered me a drink in a cup, as soon as i drank it, i slept off. It was in his camp room.

I knew something was wrong when i woke up, i was in pain, and blood was coming out of my private part. I felt weak and could not walk well. I did not tell anyone because i was afraid. When my menstrual period did not come, i knew i was pregnant and just wanted to die, to join my dead mother. I was too ashamed to even go the clinic for pregnancy care, i am so young. The man ran away from the camp when he heard i delivered a baby six months ago. I just feel so sorry for the baby because i have no food or love to give to him. I think he might die.

An 18 year old was raped in exchange for freedom to leave the camp. A 30 year old woman from Walassa, was promised false marriage by a soldier and was abandoned with a pregnancy and four children. Many other women in the camp suffer sexual abuse, exploitation and violence. The rights of displaced women and girls should be reinforced. let's fight human right abuses. Stop violence against women.