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.