“For all women and girls to access their rights, we need to act together”

Every year when International Women’s Day arrives, the same thought comes to me: here we are again, and once more, we must fight for our space.

Our space does not come automatically. There have been improvements, but it is still not understood that disability intersects with all the issues that women face.

This year’s theme, ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls’, resonates very much with me. Because women and girls with disabilities are, first and foremost, women. Yet too often, our rights are trampled upon, the justice we deserve is often denied and action is either not taken or delayed.

Despite the UN marking the 20th anniversary of the CRPD this year and having a disability strategy in place, in January, the Division of Conference Management announced that, due to a lack of funding, it could not provide international sign interpretation or remote captioning for the Human Rights Council and the CRPD Committee sessions in March. This was unexpected, as accessibility is a fundamental right, not a luxury.

While this would have affected all people with disabilities, women and girls, who are often poorer and unable to hire personal assistance, would have been disproportionately impacted. Accessibility and reasonable accommodations must be fully understood and upheld.

Women and girls with disabilities must not be deprived of our rightful spaces to participate. We need to contribute meaningfully in mainstream spaces, yet too often it feels like one step forward and two steps back. When we can participate, the collective efforts of all women and girls will be strengthened and enriched. Together, we’ll make a better world for everybody.

“People should jump on the bandwagon”

And yet, despite all this, there is some hope. Awareness is better than before. I was a part of the World Conference on Women in 1995, where the Beijing Declaration was adopted. The issues of women and girls with disabilities were present but still minimal. Since then, global efforts have continued and frameworks like the CRPD, which was adopted in 2006, included an article that focused on women and girls with disabilities. We are where we are today through persistent hard work, networking, and ally-building. We are seeing progress and this must continue.

It is important to support young women with disabilities to participate as leaders in this movement. In Ghana, we have a project where we are building up the leadership skills and confidence of young women with disabilities through mentoring. The project pairs young women with disabilities with women leaders in civil society to help them work towards their goals of becoming more active leaders in the disability movement and advocating for the rights of young women and girls with disabilities. I, too, know the power of mentorship. Early in my career, my mentor gave me hope and encouraged me. Meeting her and knowing her story was magic, and we need to give this opportunity to all young women with disabilities.

The journey may seem to be slow, but we are achieving. People should jump on the bandwagon. Join the journey of awareness raising, advocacy – the fight. And we should not relent in our efforts, no matter the circumstances.

“Together, we win. It’s a win-win affair”

For all women and girls to access their rights and get justice, we need to act together. We, as women and girls with disabilities, should recognise and note that allies are available, whether women without disabilities or men. It’s important to look out for them, engage them and work with them so our achievements are broader and faster.

Collaboration between women’s rights organisations, organisations of people with disabilities and community partners will also create long-term and meaningful change. We need to strengthen the wider women’s movement and create the space to embrace and develop the links between it and the movement of women and girls with disabilities. Similarly, there should be an increased recognition by the disability movement for joint action on women with disabilities’ rights.

My message to everyone everywhere is simple: Together, we win. It’s a win-win affair.