NUDIPU commemoration of the women’s day

NUDIPU joined the rest of the world in commemorating the international woman’s day annually held on 8^th March 2023 under the theme DigitAll: Innovation and Technology for gender equality, we recognized the existing innovations and technologies that have enabled women and girls to be able to compete with their male counterparts to thrive in the global village we live in. Despite the growing trends around the different innovations and technological advancements, women particularly those with disabilities continue to be left behind due to the unfavorable policies and environment which leaves them in vulnerable situations.

The existing technologies limit persons especially women with disabilities and puts them at a disadvantage due to the persistent gender gap in digital access which keeps them from unlocking technology’s full potential. Women with disabilities have little or no participation in tech design and governance and further more are exposed to the pervasive threat of online gender-based violence coupled with lack of legal recourse forcing them out of the digital spaces that they may occupy.

Growing inequalities among women especially those with disabilities are becoming increasingly evident in the context of digital skills and access to technologies as they are left behind due to the digital gender divide. Persons with disabilities particularly women cannot easily afford the equipments due to high taxes imposed on them for example the smart phones, jaws which is a talking software, gadgets that help in magnifying screens, hearing loops that can help to amplify sounds and affordability in terms of a challenge plus limited skills and knowledge in using these gadgets.

NUDIPU has taken a step to see how to mitigate some of the challenges and is currently implementing a programme on inclusive ICTs for persons with disabilities together with Eight Tech Consults supported by Uganda Communications Commission. This programme aims at; increasing access to ICT equipments in communities, increasing knowledge of persons with disabilities to utilize the gadgets that exist in the market and having a database for persons with disabilities aimed at identifying persons with disabilities, their caretakers and service providers so as to improve service delivery.

As NUDIPU, we want this programme to cover the entire country by enabling persons with disabilities to get knowledge and skills especially those in communities on how to use the equipments and the observatory is easily appreciated by persons with disabilities.

As advocacy organization, our interest is to see that we have a national policy that talks about inclusive ICT for persons with disabilities and as government is coming up with a national policy on ICT. NUDIPU appealed to government that the issues that were already submitted to be considered to ensure that persons with disabilities are counted among persons who mostly utilize the ICTc and called for more innovation to enable all disability categories to be catered for, for purposes of leaving no one behind as we strive to achieve the Agenda 2030.