Group implores media to help protect rights of women with disabilities

The Advocacy for Women and Girls with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), has implored the media to help bring to the fore, issues concerning the reproductive rights of women with disabilities. 

Patience Ogolo-Dickson, the founder of AWWDI, said this on Monday during a meeting with journalists.

The meeting which held in Abuja was put together to create awareness on sexual and reproductive rights of women with disabilities.

The founder was represented by Kolawole Jayeoba, the programme manager of AWWDI.

“As it relates to the sexual and reproductive health rights of women with disabilities because over the years, media has played a major role in shaping the minds, the thinking and thoughts of the public,” she said.

“We want them to be fully aware of what women and girls with disabilities are going through as regards their sexual and reproductive healthcare rights.

“Our expectations after this training is that we want this group of people to be properly addressed and the media to report their experiences as it is, especially in healthcare centres.”

She called on the public to change their mindsets on women and girls with disabilities, adding that there is ability in disabilities.

“Some people must change their mindsets about them because some of these people have wrong perceptions about women and girls with disabilities. We need a better way to address these issues,” she said.

“It is unfortunate that some of these discriminations against women and girls with disabilities happen in hospitals. So, we want the healthcare workers to be accommodating and be more inclusive.”

Ogolo-Dickson added that some of these hospitals are not “accessible because there are no walkways for women and girls with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs”.