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Over 90% of children with disabilities have no access to elementary education says Dame Pauline Tallen.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, has revealed that 25 Million Nigerians have one form of disabilities or another, adding that more than 50% of the 25 Million Nigerians are females with only 5% of these number are literate and more than 90% of children with disabilities have no access to elementary schooling.
She made this revelation in Abuja at the National Conference of Women with Disabilities with the theme, “Violence Against Women with Disabilities is a violence Against All Women” organised by Advocacy for Women Disabilities Initiative in collaboration with the Ministry
The Minister emphasized the need for behavioural and attitudinal change towards people with disabilities, and raise consciousness on the plights of women and girls living with disabilities who most times fall victim of violence.
“Women with disabilities are three-times experiencing physical, sexual and economic abuse than women without disabilities”, the Minister observed.
Dame Pauline Tallen represented at the event by Deputy Director, Women Development, Mrs. Christiana Oliko pointed out that the Government through the Ministry has taken steps to address the needs of PWDs which includes; the ratification of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Acts, 2018 and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015.
She revealed that 31 States of the Federation have domesticated the laws to safeguard the rights of persons including the persons with disabilities to varying degrees of implementations.
The ExecutiveDirector, Advocacy For Women Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) Mrs. Patience Ogolo Dickson said the nature of violence confronting PWDs were different as there were intersections between gender and violence including the new parlance, Disabilities-Based-Violence (DBV).
The UN Women Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Beatrice Eyong advocated that data collection for women who have experienced violence should be collated through sustainable partnerships with vulnerable groups for sustainable data bank
PR/AZIZATU
