“We demand rights and justice”

In Ghana, a project implemented by Sightsavers Ireland has helped to strengthen disability organisations for the long term, using a women-to-women mentoring model.

Through the project, grassroots women’s rights organisations took part in training. This included advocacy, accessibility and understanding the links between gender and disability.

Veronica, Comfort and Precious are three of the project participants. Here, they share their experiences of the training, and explain what they learned and how it has changed their activism.

Veronica: “When women support women, it makes transformative change happen”

Veronica is the founder and executive director of Women Disability Development and Advocacy Organisation (WODAO).

“The project has significantly empowered our organisation. The board, the staff and the volunteers have been equipped in governance, management, safeguarding advocacy, disability inclusion, gender mainstreaming, climate change resilience and disaster preparedness.

“All these trainings have enabled us to support over 20 grassroots organisations that we are working with. The project has really increased the knowledge of our partners, the women with disabilities that are in leadership at the grassroots levels. They are using all these skills now to advocate for themselves, to advocate for others.

“When programmes are imposed from outside on people with disabilities against their needs and goals, it doesn’t capture the realities of the situation. Participatory approaches are the better way to go because they bring about ownership, sustainability, and the relevance of what people actually need.

Comfort: “The programme transformed my confidence and leadership abilities”

Comfort is a member of the steering committee of the Progressive African Blind Network, which advocates for the rights and inclusion of people with visual impairment in Africa.

“Inclusion to me is the engine that drives development. I believe before a country can be developed, there’s a need for it to have an inclusive society.

“As a woman with visual impairment, I am passionate about supporting other women with disabilities to know their rights and believe in their abilities.

“My life experience has taught me to be resilient and proactive. The main barriers I’ve faced as a woman with visual impairment include people doubting my impairment… Sometimes people don’t think that I am visually impaired. I have experienced limited access to information and physical accessibility challenges as well as people doubting my abilities as a worker. This limits my participation in civil society. And so I am driven to push for an inclusive society where everybody has equal opportunities.

“My training through the project has been incredibly impactful. The woman-to-woman mentorship approach was really inspiring. It created a safe space where I was able to learn from an experienced woman who understood my challenges. Her guidance has taught me to build my confidence, to develop my public speaking skills and to embrace my identity as an advocate for women with disabilities.

Precious: “I want to see women with disability take leadership roles”

Precious is a board secretary for Women with Disability, Development, and Advocacy Organisation (WODAO) and panelist on a local radio show that discusses issues concerning women with disabilities.

“I am passionate to advocate for women with disability in Ghana; for them to claim their rights.

“Women with disability face a lot of barriers in civil society. One of these barriers is societal stigma: people still look at disability as a limitation, rather than another ability. Another one is accessibility. Civil society may organise some programmes… But sometimes you cannot go there when you are in a wheelchair, or when you are using crutches. Sometimes programmes are organised at the top of the building, and there is no ramp.

“Women with disability are not fully represented in our local elections. This prevents us being able to contribute to the developmental projects in our community or in the country, or… contribute to issues concerning our lives.

“Personally, I face a lot of barriers. Like stigma: the day I had to report to work as a teacher and present my appointment letter to my headmistress, she said, “Why will they bring a person with disability when I’m looking for somebody who is an able person to come and take over the job?” I had to prove myself for her to know that I can do it.