The Voice of Disability Initiative, VDI, in conjunction with the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities, JONAPWD, Enugu State Chapter, has intensified its campaign for disability rights and inclusion.
DAILY POST reports that within the week, the organisation gathered health workers in Enugu State, during which efforts were made to make them change advocates.
The campaign was also extended to Amechi Uwani community, where the VDI team interfaced with the traditional ruler, His Royal Highness, Igwe JAE Nwobodo, his cabinet members, among other members of the community.
The sensitization, sponsored by Amplify Change, centred on Disability Rights/Inclusion and Gender-based Violence.
The organisation, while addressing the health workers, urged them to adopt a more inclusive and accessible approach to sexual and reproductive health services for women and girls with disabilities.
The group also decried discrimination against People with Disabilities, PWDs, especially women and girls in accessing healthcare services in many hospitals in the state.
VDI listed such needs as contraceptives, condoms and family planning.
The workshop was entitled “Interactive Session with Healthcare Providers on Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services For Women and Girls With Disabilities in Enugu State”.
VDI’s Executive Director, Catherine Edeh, stressed the need to bridge the gap in healthcare access for women with disabilities, who were often overlooked in discussions about reproductive health.
She told the media that: “We are here to interact with medical practitioners in Enugu State on inclusive and accessible ways of approaching the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls with disabilities in the state.
“This is because women and girls with disabilities are always neglected in anything relating to sexual and reproductive health services.
“And it increases the maternal mortality rate of women and girls with disabilities. I personally escaped death because of not understanding anything about sexual health and rights.
“Because I was not carried around in workshops like this. God later saved my life, and I made it a responsibility that I will also sensitize my fellow women with disabilities so that we are truly informed. An informed person will always know how to take proper care of his or herself.”
Edeh expressed disappointment over the absence of key government representatives at the event, noting that such indifference slows down progress and development in the state.
“It is painful that there is an absence of critical stakeholders in this meeting. I would say that this is more pronounced in the South East. We have been in the North.
“In one meeting, you will see more than four commissioners. If the governor is not there, he will be represented.
“Yesterday, we were with the Commissioner for Health and interacted with him and passionately pleaded that even if he can’t come in person, he should send a representative.
“Today, I’m not sure that anybody from the Ministry of Health is here. All these things are very discouraging to us. Development will not happen if there are no listening ears,” she lamented.
The Project Manager of VDI, Edward Ogenyi, explained that the interactive session was part of a broader advocacy project supported by UK-based Amplify Change, which also played a role in pushing for the disability law that came into effect in Enugu in 2023.
“What you are seeing today, which is an interactive session with health care providers, is part of the package of activities we have under the Amplify Change-supported projects being implemented in Enugu State.”
He said the programme, taking place in three states of Nigeria, had recorded significant impact.
The Executive Director of Heroine Women Foundation and President of Women Support Women for Human Empowerment and Mentorship Initiative, Ambassador Onyi Mamah also criticised Enugu’s poor track record in disability inclusion.
“Today, VDI has come to have an interactive session with health practitioners and other members and stakeholders to improve the sexual and reproductive rights issues in Enugu.
“As far as disability matters are concerned, Enugu has been scoring a very significant zero in some matters, especially matters of accessibility, matters of availability of contraceptives, instruments and qualities, and matters of including them in employable positions,” she regretted.
Mamah emphasised that PWDs should be viewed through a lens of humanity, not charity, and should be treated like anyone else seeking medical care at the hospital.
Meanwhile, while responding to his guests, Igwe Nwobodo, who assured them of adequate support, said the people of the community were champions against gender-based violence.
“We’ll give you all the support you need to make sure that the good plan you have for the people living with disability is achieved.
“The people of Amechi are against gender-based violence and that was why when you told us about the sensitisation, we mobilized our people to come and listen and be educated.
“We run an inclusive administrative here. A disabled person is part of my cabinet and we do sponsor his birthday celebration every year.
“Be assured of our maximum support. By the next time you will come back, the results of today’s sensitization will be enormous,” he assured.
Ms Susan Ihuoma, a Gender and Social Inclusion Advocate, said women and girls with disabilities had the right to quality sexual and reproductive services.
Ihuoma spoke on the topic “Addressing Barriers and Strengthening Networks for Women and Girls With Disabilities.”
She said that 70 per cent of health centres in Enugu were not wheelchair accessible and lacked ramps, sign language interpreters and toilets.
Ihuoma added that 28 per cent of women in Nigeria experienced sexual violence but were afraid to seek help due to stigma.
“It is our right to access family planning and contraceptives, maternity and child care, information about menstrual health and protection against Gender-Based violence,” she said.
Victoria Nneji, a PWD, who shared her experience, said she was not given the opportunity to choose between vaginal delivery and a caesarian section when she was pregnant.