The Lagos State government, through the State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, has organised a 2-day advocacy training for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the state.
The workshop, organised in collaboration with the Office for Disability Affairs and International IDEA, according to the government, is designed to empower participants with key provisions of the law on domestic and sexual violence as well as disability rights and legal protection.
Speaking at the training held at Amber Residence Ikeja, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the event was put together to build capacity for heads of different disability clusters, such as people living with albinism, hearing and visual impairment, and dwarfs, among others.
Vivour-Adeniyi explained that it has become imperative to empower them adequately with relevant information about issues relating to sexual and gender-based violence to equip, teach, create awareness, to learn and know about their rights to be able to carry out extensive advocacy efforts.
Know the laws
“It is important that people know the laws that regulate these issues, and we are also talking to them about referral points. If it happens in your community or within your clusters, what do you do? Which number do you call, and where do you go to access help? Which medical facility do you visit to access care services at no cost, and to also strengthen that relationship with them so that they can have enough confidence in us to report and refer cases?”
“Most importantly, letting them know about support services that exist in Lagos that they can take advantage of, because we know persons with disabilities also experience sexual and gender-based violence, and it is important to take the message to them in a way they understand, appreciate and can take action with,” she said
More awareness
She said that in the past years, the agency has been engaging critical stakeholders, particularly the PWDs, towards a better understanding of the laws protecting their rights and the advocacy strategies needed to employ, and this, according to her, has yielded positive results.
“Going forward, we expect to see an increase in reporting from different clusters, and we are already seeing the numbers. In 2023, we provided services to eleven persons with disabilities and last year, that number doubled to twenty-five. And we know that with this information that we are bringing, we expect to see an increase in formal reporting of sexual and gender-based violence.
“And ultimately, what our mandate is to saturate the metropolis with a zero-tolerance message reiterating the fact that these are crimes, crimes committed against the state, and giving survivors their voice to know that this has happened and is not the end of their lives and there is help for them, should they wish to access it,” she added
Access to Justice
In her remarks, the General Manager of the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Mrs Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, said the training is a welcome idea, as it will broaden the knowledge of the participants and give them more access to justice.
While thanking the organisers, she noted that such conversations rarely happen, stressing that more of such engagement should be organised to educate, inform and empower PWDs in Lagos and beyond.
Learn the rights
The State Resources and Admin for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Program, implemented by IDEA, Mrs Abimbola Ushie, emphasised the need for those living with disabilities to learn about their rights first as Nigerians and what the rights of the Lagos Disability Law offer for them.
According to her, “There are different people advocating for people with disabilities, but none can do it better than the people themselves because they are the ones who know where the shoe hurts.”
Some of the participants commended the Lagos State government and their partners for convening such training sessions towards driving the message of inclusion, particularly for involving people with disabilities in the state, towards exposing them to recognising disability laws, reporting cases and accessing available support services.
Olusola Akintonde
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