By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
In commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities normally held on 3rd December every year, Sight Saver Sierra Leone, with support from Irish Aid, on Monday 4th December 2023, held a day dialogue meeting with young women with disabilities in Sierra Leone at the Family Kingdom, Aberdeen in Freetown on the theme: “Disabilities issues: face it and fix it”. The dialogue meeting is geared towards young women with disabilities dialoguing with influential women in society.
In his keynote address, the Program Officer, of Sight Saver Sierra Leone, Abubakarr Bakley Sesay, said that Sierra Leone is one of the developing countries in the sub-region that is making a lot of strides towards inclusive development in most of its recent policy formation and implementation, adding that the value of inclusivity and gender equality is being demonstrated in the Three Gender Acts, and recently the radical inclusion policy.
“Young women with disabilities are still facing unique challenges in achieving their aspirations and goals”, he affirmed.
He continued that Sight Savers Sierra Leone, under its citizen’s political participation project, together with women OPDs in Freetown, Karene, Pujehun and Kailahun districts, will be organizing a one-day engagement meeting between young women with disabilities and influential women in Sierra Leone, adding that the meeting aims at providing a platform for mentorship and discussion, where the influential women can inspire and guide young women with disabilities in pursuing their dream.
He furthered that under the disabilities project in Sierra Leone, funded by Irish Aid, they will continue to work with their project partners to implement specific interventions targeting young women with disabilities, geared towards changing the perception surrounding disabilities and building their confidence and interaction with women in leadership and influential capacity in the country.
He went on to highlight some of their objectives, such as creating a supportive environment for young women with disabilities to share their aspirations and challenges, and to promote network and collaboration between influential women and young women with disabilities for future support and empowerment initiatives.
On her part, one of the Influential Women, kadiatu Mansaray, said that disability is not inability, adding that as disabled, they must prepare to work under challenges, though most of the offices in this country are not disabled-friendly.
According to Madam Mansaray, the disabled should learn to compete with able people, adding that for her to be where she is today, takes hard work, considering the trials and challenges she went through as a disabled.
The dialogue meeting attracted the attention of a diverse group of influential women from various sectors, including politics, business, academia, civil society and media.
