WODAO seeks seats for disabled women in Ghana
A two-year mentorship programme just wrapped in Ho, and disabled women in Ghana are done waiting for a seat at the table.
WODAO’s capacity-building programme closes
- Veronica Denyo Kofiedu runs WODAO as Executive Director.
- 45 women got intensive coaching on advocacy and confidence.
- Sightsavers and the ABAK Foundation backed the project.
- Employability and public-speaking skills were core targets.
Representation is basically nonexistent
- Baseline data showed near-zero disabled-women representation in government.
- Ministerial, board, and district-executive levels all lack inclusion.
- Policies get built without disability input baked in.
- Kofiedu called that gap a recipe for national failure.
The disability population keeps growing
- People with disabilities account for approximately 8.8% of Ghana’s population.
- Rising health issues could push that number higher.
- Accessibility and barrier removal are non-negotiable going forward.
- Kofiedu warned that exclusion steers the country toward disaster.
Workplace stigma is the real barrier
- Stella Mawusi Agbezuhlor Mawutor flagged perception as the problem.
- Disabled workers often outperform their non-disabled colleagues.
- Some already run entire government departments successfully.
- Stigma, not ability, blocks their career progression.
Mentees are already leveling up
- Precious Mawuse Addo testified that the programme transformed her skills.
- Addo previously feared public speaking and report writing.
- She can confidently handle research, reports, and legal advocacy.
- WODAO framed the project’s end as a launchpad, not a finish.
