By Chidiebere Ugwu
As part of activities to mark the end of the 2023 16 Days of Activism, the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) in collaboration with Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation (VWEF) at the weekend, organized a one day training workshop to simplify the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Timesreporters Online reports that the main thrust of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, is to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence against persons to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders and other related matters.
Speaking during the event, Susan Ihuoma, Program Officer, Gender, for the IFA, said the participants whom were drawn from the six area councils of the FCT, are mostly PWDs, stressing that the programme was designed to bring home in a simplified form the VAPP law to people at the grassroots.
“Today the Inclusive Friends Association, in partnership with Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation are commemorating the 16 days of activism by inviting community women with disabilities, women with disabilities in the six area councils within Abuja, the whole essence is to increase their capacity, strengthen their capacity to at least know what the Disability Law says.
“And also know what the violence against persons prohibition, because without that, the essence of the 16 days of activism, which aims to reduce or eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, who will be defeated so we aim to build their capacities even at the grassroots level.
“That was what necessitated this particular engagement because we want them to know their rights as persons with disability, women with disabilities and also when they are violated, because of course, the theme says unite, invest to prevent violence against women and girls. So for them to be able to prevent it. They need to have the right information”.
Jamila Abdullahi, one of the participants who shared her experience stated that the training was one of a kind, stressing that she now knows what consists of discrimination, violence, and ill treatment and knows where to turn in the event of such cases.
Mrs Abdullahi, who said she lives in Karmajiji area of the city lamented the difficulties faced people moving with wheelchairs as a result of the deplorable conditions of roads in the area.
She called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) to intervene as a matter of urgency.
“The programme is about training women with disability on their rights and how to tackle it when they feel it has been violated. I personally learnt a lot from this training. I notice a lot of violations even within my area. Now, I better prepared to take up such issues when I notice such in the future” she said.
Ambassador Inakeme Ojineme, Technical Assistant on Community Engagement, to ALGON, (Association of Local Government of Nigeria) Abuja Chapter, noted that the programme is in line with African Union Agenda 2063, which harp on inclusivity with regards to ending violence and leaving no one behind.
According to her, the programme apt in the it targets women with disabilities among whom suffer violence and discrimination more than others in the society.
“Bringing these women across the six area councils is very key and laudable because the are the most vulnerable” she said.
