The Women with Disability Development and Advocacy Organization (WODAO), a disability development and advocacy not-for-profit organization has advocated for polices in disaster management covering Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The organization identified that this would help to better cater to PWDs in such trying times, due to their vulnerability by ensuring their safety, well-being, and reintegration.
The Executive Director of WODAO, Ms Veronica Deny Kofiedu, mentioned this at the training section for downstream civil society organizations, working with her outfit.
“There are so many gaps within the policy, that do not really cater for persons with disability when these disasters occur. So, within this workshop, we will enlighten our members on climate change and the possible disasters.
“We will also educate them about the provisions in the law, when these things [disasters] happen, what they should do, how to go about it, how to fight for their own rights, for them to be relieved,” She said.
She explained that there would be a stakeholders’ engagement, where institutions such as the National Disaster Management Organization, Environmental Protection Agency, and the assemblies would present document containing lapses identified in disaster management with regards to PWDs.
“We will engage the stakeholders and present disability issues, including inclusion and best disaster management practices for PWDs into their preparedness policies,” she said.
She explained climate resilience was inculcated into the training following the results of a survey that highlighted a lack of knowledge among stakeholders on climate issues.
Training workshop
The three-day zonal event dubbed “Strengthening Civil Society Representation of Women with Disabilities in Ghana,” is themed: “Strengthening Inclusive Civil Society Representation Through Safeguarding,
Disability, Inclusion, Gender Mainstreaming and Climate Resilience,”
It was organized under the auspices of Sightsavers International, ABAK Foundation and funded by the European Commission.
The project saw the training of 224 civil society organizations from across 13 Districts in the Volta and Oti Regions in practical skills in safeguarding, disability inclusion, gender mainstreaming, and climate resilience at the core.
Madam Kofiedu said the workshop is a key component of WODAO’s activities under the Strengthening Civil Society Representation of Women with Disabilities in Ghana project.
She said the engagement would equip the participants with knowledge to be translated into sustained leadership and empowerment platforms basically to ensure women and children with disabilities are not sidelined in decision making and development planning.
She explained that phase two of the project would include a mentorship programme to train women in advocacy, soft skills, and enhance their technical knowledge to enable them to make vivid input in decision-making at all levels.
The training would be both virtual and in-person coaching in a mentor-mentee concept.
She announced that there would be a Learn & Share Festival in 2026, creating a platform to highlight the impacts of the training engagements, and acknowledged the support from the EU and other partners.
“Through this, we aim to extend the impact of our work far beyond the Volta and Oti Regions. Together, we can drive transformative change and build an inclusive society where women and girls with disabilities not only survive but thrive. Let us learn, share, and strengthen our movement- because together, we can,” she added.
Sightsavers partnership
The Programme Officer of Sightsavers, Ruth Atengdem, said the project, which will span for two years and will be implemented in phases, with the first phase covering capacity building for co-applicants on the project, ABAK and WODAO.
She said the engagement was expected to enhance Civil Society Organization’s ability to integrate gender equity, disability inclusion, and climate resilience into programmes and advocacy, and again build networks and share knowledge among Civil Society Organizations across the Volta and Oti