Accra: The Women with Disability Development and Advocacy Organization (WODAO), a development not-for-profit organization, has held a stakeholder engagement dialogue to advance the representation of women with disabilities in decision-making.
According to Ghana News Agency, the meeting brought together government representatives, traditional authorities, women's rights groups, faith-based organisations, civil society actors, disability leaders, and the media to explore ways of amplifying the voices of women and girls with disabilities in governance and development processes. The workshop was themed 'Fostering Strategic Alliances to Promote the Rights of Women with Disabilities in Development,' under the auspices of Sightsavers International, ABAK Foundation, and funded by the European Union (EU) under the Strengthening Civil Society Representation of Women with Disabilities Project.
Madam Veronica Denyo Kofiedu, Executive Director of WODAO, stated that WODAO is using the dialogue to strengthen its internal systems, build leadership capacity among women with disabilities, and expand advocacy for inclusive policies. She emphasized WODAO's commitment to promoting independent living, social inclusion, and economic empowerment of women and girls with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities.
Mr. James Gunu, Volta Regional Minister, remarked on the importance of fostering strategic alliances to promote the rights of women with disabilities in development. He highlighted the multiple forms of discrimination faced by women with disabilities and the need for partnerships among public institutions, faith-based organizations, civil society organizations, and the media to drive meaningful change.
Mr. David Agyemang, Country Director of Sightsavers Ghana, praised WODAO's performance under their joint project and reaffirmed Sightsavers' commitment to supporting initiatives that promote inclusion. He emphasized the importance of building partnerships and moving beyond advocacy to practical collaboration that delivers real change for women with disabilities.
Participants identified priority actions including strengthening inclusive policy advocacy at district and regional levels, supporting capacity building for women with disabilities to assume leadership roles, and promoting disability-sensitive development planning and monitoring. The engagement concluded with a shared action plan to sustain collaboration through district-level follow-up meetings, community sensitization campaigns, and capacity-building sessions for grassroots leaders.
