By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
On the occasion of the Human Rights 75th-June activity on women’s and girls’ participation in public and political life, women with disabilities converged at the headquarters of the national commission on disability to call on policymakers to create an enabling environment for women and girls with disabilities to fully participate in decision-making processes across all sectors of society.
The program, which was organized by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights In Collaboration with the National Commission on Disabilities, was held under the theme “Delivering on The Promise Of Women’s Equal And Meaningful Participation As An Essential Condition For Progress.”
This occasion saw the disabled community, mainly women and girls living with disabilities, express the challenges they face as persons living with disabilities and put forth suitable recommendations to the government that would be used to solve the challenges faced by persons living with disabilities and provide an equal opportunity for all.
As the women outlined the challenges and provided the best way forward, the executive director of the National Commission on Disability, Madam Daintoeon Domah Pay-Bayee, charged the disabled community to be the champions of their advocacy by ensuring that policy documents that are intended for the equal rights of persons living with disabilities become reality.
Madam Pay-Bayee added that all people living with disabilities must put on the courage of self-motivation and empower themselves to seek out opportunities and forget about the discrimination they face every time.
The Executive Director provided that self-motivation and empowerment are the best way forward for fighting for inclusion in society, as she believes jobs in Liberia for persons with disabilities are institutionalized.
Madam Pay-Bayee acknowledged that there are more qualified women with disabilities who have the potential to work at other public and private institutions, but they are not afforded the opportunity because they are not at the level of decision-making.
She continued that there are numerous reasons why people living with disabilities must be at the top of decision-making because they are the only ones who can create the enabling space for decision-making by creating the confidence to vow for leadership positions across every sector.
Meanwhile, in a dialogue, the women with disabilities called for a national awareness campaign for people with disabilities to have access to public buildings by ensuring that every public building is accessible to people with disabilities.
At the same time, the women called on the national government to assist the death community across Liberia by introducing sound language interpreters at every public and private institution across the country.
They lamented that they are always challenged by difficulties in communicating with other societies. The disabled said they are hoping that the government will provide interpreters at hospitals, banks, schools, and every other sector of the country.
In furtherance, they added that there is a huge barrier to communicating their health conditions at hospitals because there are no interpreters at hospitals across the country. According to them, this has also led to their inability to pursue higher education at universities or colleges or even participate in decision-making because sound language interpreters are lacking across the economic, social, political, health, and education systems across the country. The women further called on the international community to assist the government in providing sound language across Liberia.
Moreover, the disabled community urged the government to ensure that persons with disabilities who have become beggars are removed from the street and provided with skill training programs for self-employment.
They asserted that the lack of empowerment opportunities for people living with disabilities continues to be a hindrance to acquiring the opportunity for equal rights.
As discrimination becomes more visible when people with disabilities are seen begging on the streets, and added that even if those who are empowered are going about their normal activities, people will always discriminate against them, characterize them as beggars, and drive them away.
