“The training has helped me to develop new strategies for tackling Sexual Gender Based Violence in our community. I now engage in dialogue with local leaders, advocating for the need to protect WGWDs in the community” SHG Leader, FCT
Sexual Gender Based Violence is a social problem in the society particularly affecting women and girl and even more for women and girls with disabilities. Many people in the society sees women and girls with disabilities as a community that does not experience SGBV based. WWD face peculiar barriers in the form of negative attitude and mindset, infrastructural barriers, communication and system barriers which has excluded them from SGBV care and services. This has affected their visibility and voice as related to SGBV. As a result; WGWDs have low self-confidence, they are not bold enough to speak for themselves even when they become direct victim of SGBV. Additionally; these barriers also affect their reporting pathways around SGBV in getting justice for the victims. In the case of WWDs who are survivors, there are no accessible shelters that take of their special needs into account
AWWDI implementing project with the support from ActionAid with funding from Global Affairs Canada under the WVL Project to protect WGWDs from violence and promote their issues in SGBV. The project is expected to strengthen the organizational systems and policies, build capacity of WWD SHGs leaders, community engagement and sensitization
As a result of the knowledge that women with disabilities got through the capacity training that was done for 120 Self Help Group (SHG) Leaders in Lagos and FCT, they have been empowered and their self- confidence have increased, many of them are now able to speak out not only for themselves but also for other women and girls with disabilities in their communities. An example is the case of Aisha Aminu, a member of the organization that was murdered in Okene, Kogi state. The leaders of WWDs in FCT and members in Kogi state have launched an advocacy Campaign tagged “justice for Aisha Aminu” including advocacy for justice to bring perpetrator to book through press briefing and advocacy visit to related critical MDAs (NSCDS, Legal Aid) and also push for a system where SGBV is reduced among WGWDs, thereby giving voice and visibility to the community.
