…calls for improved education access for them

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The Voice of Disability Initiative, VDI, has called for improved access to education for girls with disabilities, warning that stigma and discrimination continue to weaken their confidence and prevent many of them from reaching their full potential.

The group made the call during a town hall meeting and project close out ceremony on the Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Networks for Inclusive and Transformative Education, IGNITE Project, which focused on increasing access to education for adolescent girls with disabilities in Bayelsa State and the Federal Capital Territory, on Thursday in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of VDI, Barrister Catherine Edeh Chinyere, said the organisation focused on confidence building among the girls because many of them had been discouraged by societal attitudes.

Chinyere explained that the just concluded initiative also helped the girls learn how to set goals and plan their future despite the challenges they face.

Sharing her personal experience, the lawyer said she rose above difficult circumstances to become a professional.

She also appealed to government to strengthen collaboration with organisations working in the disability sector and provide more funding for inclusion initiatives.

Highlighting the projects impacts; Catherine said, “A lot of adolescent girls with disability lack confidence because of societal stigma. They have been crushed to the point that they no longer value themselves. We came to restore that confidence.”

Also speaking, Chief Facilitator at Edoka Trauma Care Centre and gender activist, Ene Ede, said education remains a key tool for equality, especially for vulnerable groups such as girls with disabilities.

Ede, who described herself as a survivor of child marriage, said initiatives that promote education for girls with disabilities are critical for social development.

She said despite existing policies on disability inclusion, many girls with disabilities still struggle to access education due to stigma, lack of inclusive infrastructure, and weak implementation of policies.

In his remarks, Director of Special Needs and Nomadic Education at the FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Bashir Abubakar, commended VDI for supporting government efforts to improve education for children with disabilities.

He said collaboration between government and non government organisations was necessary to address the many challenges faced by children with disabilities in schools.

The Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of VDI, Daniel Chike Uwaezuoke, said the focus on girls with disabilities was deliberate because they face multiple layers of discrimination.

He explained that many families still hesitate to send children with disabilities to school, particularly girls.

He also called for stronger implementation of inclusive education policies so that children with disabilities can learn alongside other students in regular schools.

According to the organisers, the just concluded initiative targeted 320 adolescent girls with disabilities for education and empowerment support in Bayelsa and the FCT. A total of 353 girls were identified and assessed during the project implementation, while 226 of them received life skills and personal development training.

The project also carried out sensitisation programmes for 221 parents and caregivers on inclusive education and disability rights, while awareness interventions reached about 400 households across communities where the project was implemented.