PWDs in UE empowered to advance for rights

Persons with Disabilities(PWDs) in the Upper East Region have been empowered to

adopt creative advocacy and alliance building to advance for their rights and

participate in decision-making process.

The Rural Initiatives for Self Empowerment-Ghana (RISE-Ghana) with support from

the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Ghana Centre for

Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) is implementing the empowerment project in

the Talensi, Kasena -Nankana East Districts, Bawku and Bolgatanga Municipality

which is under the 2013 Civil Society Support Program (CSSP) .

Speaking to the GNA, the Project Manager of RISE-Ghana , Mr Awal Ahmed explained

that the project which is entitled “Using Creative Advocacy and Stakeholder

Dialogue to Promote Disability Rights and PWDs Participation in Local Governance”

overall goal is to empower PWDs to engage in creative advocacy and alliance

building to advance for their rights and participate in decision-making..

He indicated that as part of the project, a series of capacity building and

awareness creation interventions have been carried out by his outfit in the Kasena

-Nankana East Municipality and the Talensi Districts respectively.

Mr Ahmed stressed that one of the main purposes of the project trainings is to

equip PWDs with the necessary skills to engage in self advocacy and dialogue aimed

at advancing disability rights, increase participation of PWDs in local governance

and demand accountability from duty bearers such as the Ghana Education Service

(GES) , the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Members of Parliament(MPs), Ministries,

Departments and Agencies, Private Sector on the progress they have made and their

commitments towards implementing the provisions of the PWD Act, the 2 per cent of

the District Assembly Common Fund( DACF) Guidelines and the UN Conventions on the

Rights of PWDs.

He said a total of 44 people from four PWDs Networks namely Ghana Society For

the Physically Disabled (GSPD), Ghana National Association for the Deaf, Ghana

Blind Union and Ghana Association of People with Albinism benefitted from the

training and acquired skills to engage in creative self-advocacy.

It also sensitized 30 stakeholders including NGOs, Metropolitant , Municipal and

District Assemblies(MMDAs) , Parents Teacher Associations ( PTAs), Traditional

Leaders from two districts in the region on inclusive development, disability

rights and the provisions of the disability act.

The Kassena Nankana East Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic

Education (NCCE), Mr Pawiah Ofori, commended RISE-Ghana and GIZ-CDD Ghana for the

execution of the project and indicated that the knowledge acquired would help

create more awareness about inclusive development and disability rights through

their outfits.