Group begins campaign against sexual harassment, discrimination in AMAC

Tue, Jun 18, 2019 | By publisher


Politics

THE Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC), an NGO, has embarked on campaigns against sexual harassment, gender based violence and discrimination against Persons living with Disability (PWDs) in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

Mr Ikenna Grant, the Operation Manager of the group disclosed on Tuesday during a community town hall meeting in AMAC organised by DRAC with the theme: “Stop Sexual and Gender Based Violence (STOPSGBV)’’.

He said it is important to address the issues from the grassroots for a successful eradication of such acts and other vices in the society.

Grant urged PWDs to leverage on the Discrimination against Persons with Disability Prohibition Act and the Violence against Person Prohibition (VAPP) Act to get meaningful inclusion in the society.

“We urge PWDS in AMAC and in other area councils in the FCT to do as much as they can to get the best out of the acts that were enacted to protect them.

“It is to their own advantage and except they are informed of the benefits of the acts, they cannot properly leverage on it,’’ he said.

Copies of a simplified version of both the National Disability Act and the VAPP act were distributed to those in attendance at the meeting for easy understanding.

Mr Yusuf Shamagana, a DRAC facilitator, urged PWDs and heads of Organisations of Persons with Disability (OPDs) to make efforts in disseminating the information contained in the simplified version of both acts.

He noted that the contents of the acts were simplified using well illustrated posters in local languages and images for easy and better understanding.

Malam Abubakar Mohammed, Chief Imam of Area1 mosque, gave the assurance that the information would be passed across at their various religious occasions.

“We promise to further step down the knowledge gotten from this platform to our followers in our various places of worship.

“We also look forward to more commitment and support from DRAC and other NGOs to further boost the voices of PWDs in AMAC.

“We solicit more community meetings, engagements and economic empowerment programmes to further elevate the lives of PWDs,” he said.

Pastor Joseph Umaru, a representative of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), adopted what Mohammed said, saying that he would also pass the knowledge to his congregation.

The religious leaders unanimously promised to promote and respect the rights of Persons with Disabilities in their communities.

They also pledged to commit themselves to changing the negative societal norms on gender violence and discriminating against PWDs, especially women and girls.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meetings were designed to sensitise people at the grassroots in the six area councils of the FCT to the National Disability Act and the VAPP act with the support of Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM), a UK based NGO. (NAN)

– June 18, 2019 @ 16:55 GMT |

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