By Ruth Dabo
In a bold push for equity and inclusion, the Empower Her Ability project has been officially launched in Abuja, promising to revolutionize the lives of women and girls with disabilities across Nigeria.
The transformative initiative is led by the Empowered to Thrive Development Initiative, in collaboration with the MimiJane Foundation for Women and Children with Disabilities, the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JUNAPWD), and with funding support from the French Embassy in Nigeria through the French Embassy Fund for Civil Society Organisations (FEF-OSC).
The project targets young women with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 40, directly supporting 25 beneficiaries through an intensive 11-month accelerator program, with plans to indirectly impact over 1,000 more women and girls nationwide. Its core objective is to enhance inclusive economic opportunities through entrepreneurship training, mentorship, financial literacy, policy advocacy, and improved access to funding and markets.
During the official launch, the Executive Director of Empowered to Thrive, Dr. Ima Chima, emphasized that the project is not about handouts but about building systems of access, respect, and recognition. She stressed the importance of giving women with disabilities the tools to thrive not only as entrepreneurs but as leaders in their communities.
Dr. Chima revealed that the project will go beyond training to actively promote policies that protect the rights of women with disabilities and ensure their inclusion at all levels of development.She stated that the project is designed to raise voices and create space for women with disabilities, recognizing their intelligence, leadership, and creative power.
As the initiative progresses, she expressed hope that governments at all levels will prioritize and implement policies that foster dignity, inclusion, and protection for women with disabilities in Nigeria.
Also, Ambassador Mube Awala Beatrice, the Executive Director of the MimiJane Foundation for Women and Children with Disabilities, who underscored the importance of accessibility in every aspect of the project, called on stakeholders to ensure that empowerment initiatives are built around the passions and realities of the beneficiaries not what the government presumes they need. She also urged the media to use respectful and accurate language when reporting on disability-related issues, as media narratives shape public perception and policy priorities.
In the same vein, representing the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JUNAPWD), Emmanuella Jighjigh extended the association’s goodwill and reiterated its commitment to promoting inclusion, removing barriers, and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. She noted that empowering a woman with a disability has a ripple effect that transforms communities and drives national progress.
One of the beneficiary of the pilot phase of the project, She Wins. She shared her journey from uncertainty to clarity, crediting the program with helping her identify and solve business problems, develop a strong value proposition, and build a strategic plan for growth. She expressed deep appreciation to the project team for their tireless support and passion.
The project will be executed with a strong focus on accessibility, ensuring venues, materials, communication, and logistics are inclusive for women with various forms of disabilities. The approach is holistic, community-driven, and sustainability-focused.
As the curtains closed on the launch, the message was clear: the Empower Her Ability project is more than a program, it is a movement. A movement that demands visibility, values lived experiences, and amplifies the voices of women who have too often been pushed to the margins.With a growing coalition of partners, advocates, and allies, the project signals a new chapter for women with disabilities in Nigeria where ability is seen before limitation, and every woman, regardless of her physical condition, is given the right tools to rise, lead, and thrive.
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