On this week’s episode of Services Without Hitches, we examined a powerful question: What does justice mean for women and girls with disabilities who experience Gender-Based Violence (GBV)?
Our guest, Florence Marcus of the Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria (ALDIN), made one thing clear: “Disability rights are not charity, they are legal obligations.”
The reality remains that women and girls with disabilities continue to face systemic barriers when seeking justice, ranging from inaccessible police stations, courts, and shelters to weak enforcement of disability laws
When a survivor cannot enter a courtroom, communicate her experience, or receive proper support, the justice system has already failed her.
Justice cannot be delivered in isolation. Creating a referral system that is inclusive from first contact to the final point when seeking justice should not be an afterthought.
As Florence emphasized: “We are not only advocating for inclusion; we are insisting on justice. True justice in Nigeria must be accessible, inclusive, and responsive to all.”
GBV response systems are incomplete if women and girls with disabilities are excluded.
Justice must work for everyone.
