Veronica Denyo Kafiedu, Executive Director of Women with Disability Development and Advocacy Organisation (WODAO), has advocated for duty bearers, the private sector, CSOs and advocates to help address the unique needs and interests of women and girls with disabilities.

“Women and girls with disabilities face intersecting barriers to their rights, and full participation in society and we believe that we deserve the opportunity to live with dignity, independence and full participation in all aspects of society, hence the advocacy for action to create lasting change, “she stated

Madam Kafiedu made call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Winneba during a dissemination of guidelines on inclusions and inclusive education toolkits workshop organised by Strengthening Partnership to Advance Disability Rights in Africa (SPADRA) at Winneba.

The SPADRA project is implemented through the Pan-African Consortium of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, which includes the African Disability Forum, Disabled Women in Africa and Inclusion Africa.

The project aims at enhancing gender and disability rights in Africa by strengthening the capacity of Organisation of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and fostering cross-disability and mainstream partnerships at Pan-African and National level

It specifically focuses on advancing gender and disability rights in Benin, Ghana, Malawi and Zambia.

The objective of the guidelines was to inform social service providers, particularly duty bearers at the local level about key issues that create barriers for women with disabilities for them to enjoy their rights to social services and to find practical measures for addressing them.

It will also guide duty bearers, the private sector, civil society organisations and advocates to prescribe the right measures at ensuring inclusive services.

According to Madam Kafiedu, WODAO, a women with disability led organisation established in 2017, advocates and empowers women with disabilities across Ghana to live independent lives.

it also seeks to create awareness on their rights, advocate for equal rights and opportunities for them, while working in collaboration with communities and stakeholders to create conducive environment for them to live in.

She said she was privileged to be part of the SPADRA project workshop, where the toolkit were produced for key stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations, Department of Social Welfare and others to validate them for dissemination g to the grassroots.

Madam Kafiedu said WODAO hoped that the two documents will become a valuable tool to cascade the awareness of inclusive education, justice, social protection of women and girls with disabilities by service providers at the grassroots level, in the Volta and Oti regions.

The workshop, she stated, had been very impactful because disability issues were human rights issues and they needed to be intentional about it.