PWDS call for equal opportunities

Oct 20, 2014

ACCESS to justice is a challenge for persons with disabilities in Uganda. These problems are compounded in the all country. Mostly women are vulnerable to violence.

By Umar Nsubuga and Violet Nabatanzi 

 

PEOPLE with disabilities (PWDs) have decried violence and discrimination in accessing equal opportunities in the country.

 

Addressing journalists at Euraka hotel, the chairperson of the National Union of Women with Disabilities (NUWODU), Hellen Asamo, said women with disabilities particularly silently suffer violence because of lack of support structures and communication barriers.

 

Asamo noted ‘’ People with disabilities, especially girls and women face many challenges in schools. There are many obstacles affecting the completion of their studies. Without the necessary skills, they struggle to get jobs and therefore cannot get a source of income,”

 

Access to justice is a challenge for persons with disabilities in Uganda. These problems are compounded in the all country. Mostly women are vulnerable to violence.

 

She added “Women need equal choices and opportunities and a non-discriminative environment, so that they can contribute to national development,’’

 

The NUWODU programme co-coordinator, Richard Khaemba, also expressed concern about limited opportunities being given to people with disabilities to express their views in the media.

 

“In both developed and developing countries, promoting an inclusive environment and equality for people with disabilities requires access to basic things such as toilets, ramps, interpreters and communication,” he noted.

 

NUWODU’s executive secretary, Jolly Acen, gender mainstreaming of issues concerning girls and women with disabilities is key in all development programmes.

 

“This is because such girls and women face double discrimination first due to their gender and their disability,” she added.

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