The Trinidad and Tobago Women with Disabilities Network (TTWDN) is calling for equal opportunities and full participation of women with disabilities in the national life. They are urging relevant stakeholders to remove all barriers and social injustices that persons with disabilities face. These barriers have been instrumental in their poverty and suffering. It is essential that concrete, progressive and comprehensive efforts be made to protect the human rights of women with disabilities in Trinidad and Tobago. This can be established through the ratification and implementation of the 2006 UN Convention on The Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.
This was the view of Interim Chairperson, Frances Ollivierre, who says that the organisation is currently facing the challenge of changing the perception of women with disabilities and believes that women with disabilities can make a positive and valuable contribution to the national community. The TTWDN, a non- governmental organisation (NGO) founded in April of this year was established by the Trinidad and Tobago Chapter of Disabled Peoples’ International (TTDPI). The DPI, an international network of over 140 national assemblies and associate organisations of disabled people, was established to promote the human rights of persons with disabilities through full participation, equalisation of opportunities and development worldwide.
According to Ollivierre, instead of taking a wait-and-see attitude and remaining passive, the TTWDN has organised themselves to confront barriers and to change public attitudes by being the representative voice of women with disabilities within the country. Having just started with 13 women, the group now has 40 members ranging from 20- 65 years, including younger girls as well. Their mission is to ensure positive visibility and action on specific issues affecting women with disabilities by promoting and protecting their needs and human rights through their empowerment and capacity building, whereby ensuring their inclusion at the national and global level.
Although the movement’s vision is to be a strong united voice mobilising women with disabilities, to eradicate social, economical, political and cultural barriers that prohibits their growth in Trinidad and Tobago, Ollivierre admits that the group has yet to fully overcome the many challenges women with disabilities face. “We are working to overcome some of the key challenging issues such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, health care, gender equality and discrimination, lack of economic independence and social services.” “Other issues women with disabilities generally face include employment and educational opportunities, accessibility, transportation and housing.” Ollivierre says.
Only seven months in operation, the group’s aim is to influence the government to introduce legislation prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities as to improve the lives and life chances of persons with disabilities. “We are currently establishing and structuring the organisation in terms of drafting our constitution,” Ollivierre says Ollivierre hopes that once the UN Convention and its Optional Protocol is ratified and implemented, society will begin to respect the rights of persons with disabilities and people would value diversity and fight to prevent discrimination.
Thus far, the TTWDN is creating solidarity among disabled women through campaigns, leadership workshops, talk shops and fundraising activities as to build capacity, empowering themselves, and by extension educating the wider communi In the near future, although the organisation if not yet funded, Ollivierre sees the organisation owning a newsletter and hopes to partner with corporate citizens, to achieve their objectives