Federal Govt. Restates Commitment to Care For Women, Children with Disabilities

The Nigerian Government has restated its commitment to address issues affecting Women and children living with disabilities across the country.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Nura Alkali stated this in Abuja, at a one-day meeting on the development of strategies for care and support for women and children with disabilities in Nigeria.

Represented by the Director, Humanitarian Affairs in the Ministry, Alhaji Ali Grema, and the Permanent Secretary said there were still significant gaps in the mainstream operations of gender and disabilities at field levels.

According to him, women and children are often times underrepresented in decision making processes.

“Discrimination against PWDs Act 2018 provides for full integration of PWDs in the society and also set out general obligations and specific measures required for implementation”. He said

He said there was need for all stakeholders to work together as no single actor or stakeholder, working alone, can implement the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act of 2018 effectively.

“Thus, the Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq last year inaugurated the Coalition of NGOs for the care and support of women and girls with disabilities in order to promote and advance their rights and we are 100 per cent committed to that,” Alkali said.

The Director Special Needs in the Ministry, Mrs. Nkechi Onwukwe, said the meeting was aimed at evolving strategies on holistic care and support for women and children with disabilities.

Onwukwe said this was in line with Social Development Goals numbers 1, 3 and 5, adding that the Ministry would continue with its concerted efforts towards addressing issues that relate to persons with disabilities in Nigeria.