LEADERS of various nations and inter-governmental agencies have taken cognizance of the rights of women with disabilities, in accordance with international instruments such as the Comprehensive and Integral Convention on the Production and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free, and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination of Women. These international covenants emphasize the need for independent states to give greater attention to the rights of women, in general, and women with disabilities, in particular, to participate in society and share in the benefits of development and progress.
In the Philippines, the government, along with non-governmental organizations, has worked continually in improving the status of women in our society, be it in the base communities, in the private sector, and even in government. In 2006, to give greater emphasis to the concerns of women with disabilities, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared the last Monday of March every year as Women with Disabilities Day.
Taking the lead in the celebration is the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP), with the collaboration of the National Commission on the Role of the Filipino Women (NCRFW), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the House of Representatives Committee on Women’s Affairs. Joined in by various advocacy groups, the observance includes a forum on the topic "Kababaihan May K… Alam mo na ba?" and a live-in activity involving women leaders from the Visayas and Mindanao, during which the participants will assess the progress made in promoting the interests of women with disabilities.
Around the country, many women with disabilities have not been deterred in their pursuit of excellence and service. These women prove that with determination, women with disabilities can make a difference.
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