Women with Disability Day in the Philippines Today!

In the Philippines we celebrate Women with Disability day today!

Every last Monday of March as part of the celebration of the Women's month -- that day is reserved to commemorate the contributions of women with disability in nation building.

Disability is still the most marginalized sector in the country, the poorest of the poor and are always an after thought in development planning.

I wish that one day people with disabilty become forefront of their own development -- the only way forward is to get them involved from beginning to end. Make them and their families owner of their own progress to ensure that they are part of the social sector contributing to the development process of their own sector rippling to others.

Disability is not going away -- it is part of human development. Eventually all of us will experience to be disabled one way or the other -- take into consideration age, trauma, domestic violence and proliferation of bad habits in eating and lifestyle. So we are all part of the sector and we can do something about it.

Inclusion and empowerment are key to making the right real for them and for all of us. Making them owners of their own life respond to the mantra of "Nothing About Us Without Us".

Philippines can take advantage of the opportunity that the number of PWD is not the same as other developing country and we have the laws, funds and expertise that can help -- if only the government curb corruption, nepotism and bureaucracy make thechange necessary to uplift the condition and situation of the disability sector.

For now I share in the celebration -- shouting to the world "Mabuhay Ka Juana, may kapansan man o wala!

Additional reading:

Disability censushttp://census.gov.ph/content/persons-disability-philippines-results-2010...