The Kwara State Government has restated its commitment to protecting the sexual and reproductive health rights of women with disabilities, pledging full support for the Voice of Disability Initiative in its campaign for the creation of a State Disability Commission.
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Commissioner for Women Affairs, Chief (Mrs) Opeyemi Oluwakemi Afolashade, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by members of the organisation to the Ministry in Ilorin. She was represented by the Director of the Child Department, Hajia Idiat Alabi.
According to her, Governor Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has consistently pursued inclusive policies that prioritise vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities. “In all government programmes and interventions, the Governor ensures that a quota is allocated to persons with disabilities. These include the Nutritional and Educational Support Palliative Programme as well as the renovation of the School for Special Needs, Ilorin,” she explained.
She also noted that the administration had demonstrated its commitment through appointments, pointing to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development, Mr Peter Ayanwale, who is himself a person with disability.
Afolashade further cited the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy Domestication Programme, which guarantees participation of vulnerable groups, particularly women with disabilities. She encouraged the organisation to broaden its advocacy by reaching out to more persons with disabilities at grassroots level across Local Government Areas to ensure fairer access to opportunities.
Earlier, the Team Lead of the Voice of Disability Initiative, Mr Edward Ogiji, said the group is dedicated to advancing the reproductive health rights of women and girls with disabilities while pushing for stronger enforcement of the state’s disability law.
He stressed the importance of establishing a specialised agency to drive interventions and programmes for persons with disabilities, separate from existing ministries. “The initiative is advocating for an independent agency that will oversee interventions for persons living with disabilities. This would complement structures in the Ministry of Social Development while ensuring improved service delivery,” Ogiji explained.
He also called for stronger collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Social Development, the Kwara State House of Assembly, and the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development to strengthen the rights and welfare of vulnerable citizens.
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