Lagos State Sensitises Persons With Disabilities On Sexual Violence

Lagos State government has engaged about one hundred persons with disabilities PWDs on how to manage and relate to issues of sexual and gender-based violence.

The community in their clusters were trained in collaboration with the Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs LASODA as well as the Centre For Women’s Health in Nigeria CEWHIN.

The one-day sensitisation programme according to the government was designed to highlight issues affecting PWDs and to create a path for an inclusive and equitable environment where everyone, can live free from violence and discrimination across the State.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, DSVA Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi said there is a need to address the issue that disproportionately affects persons with disabilities, a community that often faces multiple forms of discrimination and exclusion.

Vivour-Adeniyi explained that Lagos State has been at the forefront of ensuring the protection of the challenged in society, stressing that the robust sessions at the event will enhance the prevention and remedial intervention efforts of the agency.

“As the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, I am deeply committed to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their abilities, have access to Justice, support, and protection from violence. 

“We recognize that persons with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence due to a variety of factors, including physical and cognitive limitations, lack of awareness, and limited access to support services.

“This engagement provides a unique opportunity for us to come together, share experiences, and discuss strategies to address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities about sexual and gender-based violence,” she said

She however promised that the state through the agency will further explore ways to enhance prevention efforts, improve access to justice, and provide comprehensive support services tailored to the specific needs of this community.

Safer Environment 

In her Goodwill message, the General Manager of Lagos State Office For Disability Affairs, Mrs Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal said the programme is a vital step in creating safer environments for PWDs, both in their homes and the wider community and that it will not only raise awareness but also promote an important dialogue about the legal protections available to PWDs.

Oyetunde-Lawal who was represented by the Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Orientation of LASODA, Mrs Foluso Adeolu said by educating participants about their rights and the mechanisms in place to protect them, the state is equipping PWDs with the tools they need to stand up for themselves and seek the justice they deserve.

Empowering PWDs

The team lead of the Centre for Women’s Health and Information, CEWHIN Mrs Atinuke Odukoya also lauded the initiative aimed at empowering persons with disabilities with information and knowledge on preventing and responding to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. 

Odukoya said that it is a collective responsibility to create a world where everyone is safe and free from all forms of gender-based violence as the programme would provide the participants with resources, information, support, and inspiration to tackle the issues of SGBV and prevent occurrences within the person with disability clusters.

In her presentation, one of the facilitators, Stella Osho of CEWHIN took the participants through the understanding of domestic and sexual violence and its implications for persons with disabilities.

Lantana Nasir