Through the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRP), in partnership with UNICEF, the National Council for Citizens’ Education (NCCE) concluded the involvement of national stakeholders to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in the Gambia.
The forum, funded by UNICEF under the UNPRPD, was held under the theme of “A Joint Approach to Creating an Inclusive Environment for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” and was intended to promote the full realization of rights and inclusion for persons with disabilities by actively engaging relevant stakeholders.
The initiative also aims to raise awareness of specific duties and responsibilities in mainstream obstacles across all sectors and services.
More importantly, the forum focused on identifying timely solutions to challenges such as PWD participation, with a particular emphasis on children, women, and those living in rural communities.
Meanwhile, the initiative targets 10 learning forums in seven administrative regions. Upper River, Central River, Lower River, Northbank and West Coast. Kanifing Municipal and Banjul City Council are also part of the program.
Each session covered approximately 50 participants, including PWD, security officers, local government members and other relevant stakeholders.
At the closing ceremony, Yusuphha Bojang, head of citizen education at the National Council for Citizens’ Education (NCCE), observed that people with disabilities are not comparable to others in terms of development and participation in the national efforts, recalling that many jobs have been done since the Disability Act was passed in 2021.
However, he said he further emphasized that there is still a gap and their wish is to ensure that there is a fair and inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to provide allocations to the development of the country.
Marcus Angara, UNICEF’s Child Protection Officer, emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing challenges, particularly children with disabilities faces.
He said it was a call for action to help all government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners and community leaders defend the rights of children with disabilities and ensure that they are not left behind.
“We firmly believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, listen and fully participate in the community regardless of their abilities,” he said.
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On behalf of UNICEF, he praised the Gambian government for working to implement the 2021 PWD Act with national policy with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Director deaf and difficult to hear the wings of women, Isatou Sanyang observed that one of the most important rights to advocate and protect in the NHRC is the rights of PWD.
Thus, she called on the need to empower PWDs not only to understand their rights, but also to empower them so that the government can be held accountable as well. “Children with disabilities should not be hidden anymore, but rather should be given the necessary means to excel in society,” she said.
Muhammed Krubally, chairman of the Gambian Federation of Persons with Disabilities (GFD), highlighted the importance of the initiative, saying it should be the collective responsibility of everyone to create an inclusive space for people with disabilities.
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