As the world commemorates these 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Nigerian Bar Association Lawyers with Disabilities Forum joins the rest of the world in amplifying this call for an end to all forms of violence against women, girls, and other marginalized groups. This is a year’s campaign that has reaffirmed our collective responsibility to build a society founded on a basis of equality, respect, and justice for all.
GBV is one of the most pervasive violations of human rights, bringing on devastating physical, emotional, and socio-economic consequences. This is often compounded by the issue of intersectionality of gender, disability, and systemic discrimination in the case of women and girls with disabilities. Evidence has shown that women with disabilities are twice as likely to experience violence, though their voices are often silenced and their experiences overlooked.
As lawyers and advocates, we realize that this will require concerted effort in the fight against gender-based violence through the strengthening of legal frameworks, improving access to justice, and support for survivors of such acts, especially from vulnerable communities. We, therefore, call on policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations to:
- Services addressing survivors of GBV, such as shelters, health, and legal support, must be made accessible to persons with disabilities.
- Inclusive Policies: Mainstream disability inclusion in all gender-based violence prevention and response strategies.
- Improve Enforcement: Actively work toward enforcement lacunae of the laws on protection of women and girls so that perpetrators are brought to book.
- Promote Awareness: Empower communities so that stereotypes and stigma become challenged, promoting attitudes and behaviors that respect the dignity and rights of all.
We also stress that collection of such data should be disaggregated by gender and disability; this will provide the necessary impetus toward informed, specific intervention.
The 16 Days of Activism are not symbolic but an activate call to action: to make a world free of violence and fear where men and women, with disabilities or not, all become equal. We remain steadfast in reiterating our commitment in such collaborative manner, where all stakeholders must work tirelessly as no one should be left behind.
Signed:
Patience Nkeonyeasua Etumudon Ms
Chairperson, Nigerian Bar Association Lawyers with Disabilities Forum
