Africa-Press – South-Sudan. By Hassan Arun Cosmas
Members of Disabled Action Group (DAG) are calling on the general public to stop harassing and discriminating against persons living with disabilities in Yei River County, Central Equatorial State.
The call came during a one-day community engagement dialogue on transforming social negative norms against women.
Addressing participants during the conclusion of the dialogue, Medina Kiden expressed disappointment at the way some traders in Yei mistreat persons with disabilities as they transact with them in the market.
Kiden said she came across an incident wherea person with a disability was harassed in Dar-el-Salaam Market, the main marketplace in Yei Town about a week ago.
She called on the county government to cooperate with DAG to ensure the rights of persons living with disabilities are respected and punish individuals who are subject to harassment.
“We have a big challenge as people living with disability in Yei. For example, in Dar el Salam Market, we got a report that one of our members was (sprinkled with ashes containing fire) burnt by a trader doing tea business because the person requested for something to eat. This is very discouraging to us as people living with disability. We want the government to look and protect such groups of people,” requested the member of disabled action group.
Kiden explained that disability was neither one’s own making. she called on all traders in Yei to treat disabled persons with humanity and stop bad practices against them.
“Traders in Yei should stop this bad practice against people living with disability and the mad people in the town especially the foreign traders. Anyone who mistreats people with disability and those who are mentally disturbed, we shall rise up against you because it is not our will to be mad or disable,” remindedKiden.
The Centre for Inclusive Governance Peace and Justice (CIGPJ) initiated the community engagement dialogue to address issues of social negative norms against women.
The forum helped the representative of the persons living with disability to voice their concerns and challenges facing them.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
