The Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) has partnered with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Nigeria to empower women and girls with disabilities with basic income-generation skills aimed at improving their livelihoods and economic independence.
The partnership was formalised with the signing of a Grant Agreement by Mrs. Patience Ogolo Dickson, Executive Director of AWWDI, on behalf of the organisation’s Board and Management.
Under the grant, AWWDI will support women and girls with disabilities to acquire practical income-generation skills that can help them establish sustainable livelihoods, increase their ability to earn an income and participate more meaningfully in their communities.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of persistent economic and social barriers faced by women and girls with disabilities, who often experience limited access to education, employment, skills development, financial opportunities and other resources needed to achieve economic independence.
For many women with disabilities, these barriers can increase their vulnerability to poverty and exclusion, making access to livelihood opportunities an important part of disability inclusion and empowerment.
AWWDI said the partnership represents an important step towards creating greater economic opportunities for women and girls with disabilities and enabling them to build livelihoods with dignity.
The organisation’s focus on income-generation skills is also expected to contribute to greater participation of women with disabilities in their families and communities, while strengthening their capacity to become economically independent.
The partnership between AWWDI and the German Embassy highlights the importance of collaboration between civil society organisations and development partners in advancing disability inclusion and creating opportunities for people with disabilities to fully participate in society.
“When women with disabilities are empowered, communities become stronger,” AWWDI said.
The grant is expected to contribute to efforts to ensure that women and girls with disabilities are not left behind in economic empowerment and community development initiatives.