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WINET Makes Strong Case For People With Disabilities In Enugu State
WINET Makes Strong Case For People With Disabilities In Enugu State… Presents Endline Report.
Women Information Network (WINET), an Enugu based non-governmental organization (NGO, has advocted the need to develope an Enugu State Action plan for the rehabilitation and integration of persons with disabilities (PWDs) within the framework of Socio- economic development.
It said such move should be aggressively pursed with vigour by the Civil Society groups and the government.
WINET, a media focused, Women’s right, NGO, which had over the years, carried out activities to empower various categories of such persons to access justice through the Courts, said there is also need “for support for the rehabilitation and training of (PWDs) for self-reliance.
Our Correspondent reports that these were part of its recommendations as contained in an endline report of a project titled: “Human and Disability Rights Education for Women with Disabilities in Enugu State” carried out by the NGO which was made public yesterday and shared among the PWDs, media, and Civil Society groups.
Opening remarks by Mrs. Miriam Menkiti, Executive Director of WINET during Dissemination of End Line Report
In her remark at the event, Mrs Miriam Menkiti, the Executive Director of WINET, who gave a run-down of how the project supported by African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) began and was executed, disclosed that the study was conducted among Women with Disabilities (WWDs), who are mostly urban based.
She added that the NGO, was not able to capture the numerous WWDs who are not members of the joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Enugu State Chapter, or any other PWDs body.
Mrs. Menkiti, explained that the end line study was undertaken with a view to documenting the current level of knowledge of WWDs in Enugu State, as it concerns their rights, adding that the findings of the study indicates that the level of understanding fundamental rights, understanding the basic concept of human rights, violation of rights, and how to remedy them by the WWDs in particular and the PWDs in general in the state has improved to a reasonable extent.
She disclosed that WINET implemented the project from February 2021 to April 2022, revealing that a total of 100 (WWDs) were selected from five clusters of (JONAPWD),
Such positive development according to her, is as a result of training organized by WINET and supported by AWDF, stressing that part of its objective was the formation of PWD Women rights forum to engage the Enugu state House of Assembly on the domestication of the Discrimination Against persons with Disabilities prohibition Act 2018.
She further noted that the study equally shows significant changes in the percentage of the (WWDs) with adequate knowledge before the training to those who have such after the training.
The Executive Director, in the thirty pages document with alot of illustrations, equally recommended for effective engagement by all relevant Stakeholders including Enugu state House of Assembly to ensure speedy domestication of the PWDS Act in the state, recalling that it was passed at the national level since 2018.
The ED speaking
Earlier in a slide presentation of the entire report, consultant to WINET on the project, Mr. Okolo- Obasi Nduka Elda, had illustrated most of the findings with pictorials, graph tables as well as reliable statistics gotten from the field.
He noted that the report has shown that the actions taken by the NGO, in the recent training has created ripple effects, pointing out that it equally shows that while knowledge of rights of WWDs, violation, and ways to seek redress have significantly increased in the urban areas, poverty among the PWDs, appears to a major challenge.
“To this effect, productive and decent work would provide PWDs with the opportunity to realize their aspirations and potentials to improve their living conditions and participate more actively in society.
Participants holding copies of the report.
Some of the PWDs participants including the women who spoke at the ceremony, expressed appreciation to the Mrs. Menkiti and her team for always leading on issues concerning them, and serving as the voice of the voiceless at all times.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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