The Chairperson of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD)Edo State,Ms Ann Ujugo has lamented that marital discrimination is what women living with disabilities in Nigeria suffer, as men do not ask for their hands in marriage, leaving them single all through their lives.
Ojugo made the assertion in Benin City, Edo State on Tuesday at a press briefing to commemorate the international Women Day marked on the 8th of March every year.
She said other challenges include lack of job opportunities, discrimination in schools and in market places.
According to her,”One of the most difficult challenge women with disabilities face is marital discrimination as no man, even men with disabilities don’t come to ask for our hands in marriage.
“Some will even ask if you fell like a woman.For a woman with disability, emotional discrimination is a double tragedy for us. Another one is education, some people don’t like sending their daughters to school,not to talk about when the person has disabilities.” She said.
Earlier,in her speech,
Miss Janet Omole,a member of JONAPWD,said the
day stands out as remarkable for them because it is a day they choose as
Women and girls with disabilities to add their voices to that of millions of Nigerian women and also to appreciate the place of women within the global community.
“The biggest emphases around women’s rights in the last few decades has
been gender equalityin schools, workplaces, and other areas, which is highlighted
in goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals.However, today in Nigeria society,underrepresentation, unbalanced education, pervasive social norms,
employment discrimination, and physical or sexual violence are some of the
biggest challenges women and girls still face. And women with Disabilities face a double incidence of these challenges described above worsened by the social and cultural viewpoints of the society towards persons with disabilities and disability
related issues.
“Women and Girls with disabilities continue to suffer social and
cultural discrimination amidst other structural and technical barriers placed on
them by the society. Efforts by successive governments to tackle some of these
challenges through the enactment ot justifiable Laws like the Child Rights Law has not been very effective as a result of poor implementation.
“It is as a
result of this that we as women, are clamoring for inclusion and representation in government so that we can be part of decision making process in matters that effect us and the general development of the country.
“We therefore use this medium to add our voices to the calls by many, on the male dominated National Assembly to, as a matter of good conscience, recall and pass the five gender based related bill earlier turned down by the Legislature at the ongoing Constitutional Amendment Exercise. As overlooking the opinion of so large a constituency can hinder the proper growth and development of the country.” She said.
