Good morning distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends.
My name is Añuli Aniebo- Founder and ED for HEIR Women Hub
It is a great honour to stand before you today to discuss an issue that is at the very heart of both social justice and sustainable development—the inclusion of women with disabilities within the mainstream women’s movement. This conversation is not just about gender, nor is it only about disability. It is about intersectionality, about ensuring that no woman, regardless of her abilities, is left behind as we strive for equality, empowerment, and a world that values all people equally.
Across West Africa, women with disabilities face compounded challenges—challenges that stem from both gender-based discrimination and the ableism embedded within our societies. Women with disabilities experience higher rates of violence, abuse, and neglect. Harmful traditional practices, such as child marriage, forced sterilizations, and gender-based violence, disproportionately affect them. These practices are exacerbated by a lack of accessible services, education, and representation.
But these challenges are not just individual struggles; they are social, economic, and political barriers that prevent the full participation of women with disabilities in the social fabric of our communities. And what we know is this: when women are excluded, society as a whole suffers. When women with disabilities are excluded, the injustice is even more profound.
We stand here today not to dwell on these barriers, but to advocate for bold, transformative change. Our vision is clear: empowering women with disabilities—not just as beneficiaries, but as leaders who can shape policies, lead organizations, and advocate for the rights of all women.
But to achieve this, we must embrace a model of inclusion that integrates women with disabilities into the broader women’s rights movement. This is not about creating parallel tracks of advocacy. It is about fostering collaboration between women’s groups, disability organizations, and governments to create a unified front for gender equality and social justice.
Through strategic collaboration, we can push forward legislative and policy changes, advocate for accessible infrastructure, and demand inclusive education for all women and girls. We must ensure that the voices of women with disabilities are heard in decision-making processes, from the grassroots level to the highest political forums.
The time for action is now. And it starts with each of us—leaders, advocates, and policy makers—standing together in solidarity.
- Advocate for policies that ensure the inclusion of women with disabilities in all aspects of society, from education to employment to political representation. We must align our efforts with international frameworks like the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create an enabling environment where women with disabilities are no longer invisible.
- Amplify leadership opportunities for women with disabilities. Create platforms that provide training, mentorship, and visibility for women leaders who are already pushing boundaries in their communities.
- Challenge and eliminate harmful traditional practices that contribute to gender-based violence and discrimination. Together, we can eradicate the stigma and injustice that continues to harm the most vulnerable among us.
Conclusion
As we move forward in this vital work, let us remember that the struggle for women’s rights is not complete until it is inclusive of all women. When we make room for women with disabilities—when we empower them, support them, and include them—we strengthen the entire movement.
This is a call to each one of you in this room today: Let us be the change we seek. Let us leave this gathering committed to a world where women of all abilities are celebrated, valued, and fully included.
Let’s rethink how our words, terminology and nomenclature is, create inclusion in interventions methods, let us re-conceptualise how we evaluate intersections in project design and implementation and let us re-imagine a society that is consciously re-orientated to not only speak against social injustices, but to also, show and leverage on the power of collaboration to intentionally see inclusion of all.
I thank you for this opportunity and for listening.
Añuli Aniebo
References
International Disability Alliance (IDA) https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org
National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN), Kids As Self Advocates (KASA) 2006.
The Nigerian Safeguarding Hub https://nigeria.safeguardingsupporthub.org/search?keys=JONAPWD&type_1=All&hub=All