The Chronicle
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Online Reporter
STAKEHOLDERS have been urged to create platforms that will enable women with disabilities to access digital information and services in line with this year’s commemoration of the International Women’s Day.
Speaking on the side lines of the belated celebrations in Gwanda organised by his institution Nkomwa Foundation Trust (NFT), director Mr Pick Nkomwa said there were still some barriers for people with disability to access information, especially on digital platforms. NFT is a disability organisation based in Gwanda.
The country joined the rest of the world to celebrate the International Women’s Day on 8 March. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
This year it was celebrated under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.”
To further celebrate women, March has been set aside as the Women’s month.
Mr Nkomwa said the International Women’s Day belated commemoration was combined with a sensitisation meeting on the new Marriage Act. The event was attended by persons with disabilities, caregivers to children with disabilities, community members, Civic Society Organisations and Government Ministries.
“We took the opportunity to commemorate the International Women’s Day and also to capacitate women on the Zimbabwe New Marriage Act and Inheritance law provisions in Zimbabwe. There is still a huge gap when it comes to access of information for the disabled community. Worse still we are now living in a digital era where a lot of information is accessed online and many processes are being done digitally. Some of the disabled people however can’t access these services and information.
“There is need for stakeholders to engage the disabled in the design and content creating process to make their services inclusive. Some of the disabled participants who attended this workshop were not privy of the new marriage Act and Inheritance Law. The meeting was therefore an ideal and significant platform to all the marginalised group of people in our society,” he said.
@DubeMatutu
Article Source: The Chronicle