CENTRE FOR CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES ADVOCATES FOR THE STRENGHTHENING OF EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND PROTECTION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES

As the world commemorates the 2026 International Women’s Day with the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, our organization, the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities is committed to promoting the inclusion, rights, and development of women and girls with disabilities and we stand in solidarity with women and girls with disabilities, whose rights continue to be overlooked, denied, or inadequately protected.

Access to justice is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of equality and dignity. Yet, in many societies, including Nigeria, women and girls, especially those with disabilities continue to face systemic discrimination rooted in harmful social norms, discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and inaccessible justice systems. These realities deny them the opportunity to live free from violence, participate fully in society, and seek justice on an equal basis with others.

As affirmed by Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.” This principle must apply fully and equally to women and girls with disabilities.

The Need for Urgent Action

Women and girls with disabilities experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination on the basis of gender and disability. In critical areas of life such as education, employment, healthcare, family life, and access to justice, they are often left behind.

Many continue to face barriers such as:

• Discriminatory family, labour, and healthcare laws

• Limited access to education, increasing vulnerability to poverty and abuse

• Harmful practices, including child marriage and forced dependency

• Exclusion from leadership, political participation, and decision-making spaces

• High levels of gender-based violence, with little access to survivor-centered justice

• Inaccessible courts, police stations, and legal procedures

• Lack of affordable and accessible legal aid

Ensuring rights means legally protected access to education, work, healthcare, and participation in public life. Ensuring justice means fair, unbiased, and accessible justice systems that protect survivors and punish abuse. Ensuring action means dismantling discriminatory laws, harmful practices, and structural barriers that continue to exclude women and girls with disabilities.

Justice systems that are biased, inaccessible, or dismissive of the experiences of women and girls with disabilities deepen inequality and reinforce impunity. For justice to be meaningful, it must be inclusive, accessible, and centered on the needs and rights of survivors.

CCD Call for Action to Strengthen Access to Justice, Equality, And Protection for Women and Girls with Disabilities

In line with this year’s International Women’s Day theme, the Centre calls for urgent and sustained action to ensure and strengthen access to justice for women and girls with disabilities.

Centre For Citizens with Disabilities has Slspecifically, we call for the reform and elimination of discriminatory laws, policies, and practices that disadvantage women and girls with disabilities

Inclusive and equitable justice systems that provide reasonable accommodation, accessible procedures, and survivor-centered services

Stronger protection and prevention measures to end gender-based violence in all its forms create affordable, accessible, and disability-inclusive legal aid services

• Increased representation and participation of women with disabilities in leadership, governance, and justice institutions

• Public education and awareness to challenge harmful social norms and stereotypes that perpetuate discrimination

Thepress release stated that, true equality cannot be achieved when women and girls with disabilities are excluded from justice, denied protection, or silenced by systems meant to uphold their rights. This International Women’s Day is a powerful reminder that equality before the law must be a lived reality, not a distant promise. Ensuring Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls with Disabilities requires collective responsibility, political will, and deliberate action.

The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities joins UN Women and the United Nations in urging all relevant stakeholders; families, civil society organisations, development partners, government at all levels, private sector, and the media to demand and defend the rights of women and girls with disabilities because when justice works for women and girls with disabilities, it works better for everyone.