MPs with disabilities lobby for forum
Commonwealth Parliamentarians with disabilities want the constitution of the Commonwealth Parliament Association (CPA) amended to create a special forum for them.
Hon. Dennitah Ghati, representing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Kenya National Assembly revealed her intentions to move a motion for an amendment of the CPA constitution.
“We realise that we have CPA youth and CPA women but we do not have for persons with disabilities yet we have stories to tell,” she said told delegates in a CWP Meeting on Tuesday, 24 September 2019.
Uganda’s representative for PWDs, Hon. Safia Nalule Juuko said one in seven people in the world live with a disability.
Hon. Helen Sauls August, from the Provincial Legislature in South Africa, called on the leadership of CPA to consider the proposal.
“. It will bring all women with disabilities under one roof and they can start to discuss their issues,” Sauls said.
The call was made following adoption of resolutions empowering women to be effective legislators in the 21stCentury.
The recommendations were adopted with amendments during at the session chaired by Uganda’s Hon. Syda Bbumba.
The resolutions were presented by the Speaker of Ugandan Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga; Dr. Aisha Gaus Pasha, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan; Hon. Alice Lau Kiong Yieng, MP, Malaysia and Helen Haywood, Deputy Chief Executive, CPA UK Branch.
A mentoring session on the role of parliaments in facilitating Persons With Disabilities as electors, candidates and legislators was held on Friday, 27 September 2019.
