The Disability Not A Barrier Initiative, DINABI, has advocated for the inclusion of women with disabilities into the Ekiti State Gender-Based-Violence Management Committee.
The Executive Director of DINABI, Olajide Funsho, madevtgue call Ado-Ekiti at a one-day capacity building workshop for 36 women with Disabilities on Leadership Development, GBV Advocacy and Economic Empowerment, with funding from Disability Rights Fund, DRF.
Funsho, who decried the non-inclusion of women with disabilities in the GBV Management Committee pointed out that the advocacy would build their capacity to report GBV cases.
He said “It’s important that we build their capacity in terms of entrepreneurship, financial literacy so that they would be financially literate to be able to be self independent”.
The executive director, stressed that the capacity building workshop is targeted at empowering the women through entrepreneurial skills, financial literacy, strategic advocacy and leadership skills.
“We have 36 participants today, also in a few weeks from now, about 38 to 40 women will be empowered with digital literacy, data analysis, graphics designs, web designs, pastries ( cake marking) and soap making in subsequent editions for their empowerment”.
“The workshop is to empower our women to have knowledge of business, knowledge of empowerment, to have something to do, to have source of income, so that they would not be dependent on someone. If they done not have income, there will be challenges ahead of them”.
In his presentation entitled ” Concept of Entrepreneurship: Empowering Skills for Women with Disabilities” and ‘Financial Literacy: Pathway to Empowerment and Resilience,a resource person, Dr. Gbenga Adesunloro, said the participants would be able to meet their daily needs when they are financially capable, urging them to promote entrepreneurship and promote their values if they want to be rich.
He maintained that the gains of the capacity workshop will be more felt in their work towards seeing new opportunities by themself to increase their economic fortunes, without depending on anybody with the present economic realities.
The Special Adviser to the Ekiti State Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Princess Agboola Adetun, represented by Hon. Funmilola Adedeream, SSA on Special Interest Group, said the State government has mapped out plans for Person’s With Disabilities, PWD in the State.
Also, the Director, Office of Disabilities Affairs, Mr. Clement Ojo, represented by Mr. Adedapo Adetunji, said the office encourages NGOs to train and rehabilitate PWDs to integrate them into the society.
The General Secretary, Joint National Association of Disabilities, Ekiti State branch, Femi Oni commended DINABI for organizing the workshop aimed at empowering women with disabilities.
He also pointed out that the State government have been very supportive to PWDs in the State, describing the current government in the state as disability friendly governor.
Mrs. Bamikole Gbemisola, Women Leader, Joint National Association of Persons with Disability, noted that the workshop want the society to know that there is ability in disability.
“The workshop is to empower, enlighten the women and girls with the four clusters of disabilities, the Albinism, visual and hearing impairment and the physically challenge to have a sense of belongings to be able to start their own business and educating them on how to be dependent and have skills at hands”.
End.