At the Margins, but Not Invisible: Centering Women with Special Needs in Nigeria’s Equality Agenda

On the final stretch of International Women’s Month 2026, a different kind of conversation took centre stage in Abuja, one that refused to gloss over the realities of women too often left out of Nigeria’s progress story. Convened by UN Women in partnership with UNAIDS, NACA, ASWHAN, and networks of women living with disabilities and the elderly, the joint symposium on “Rights, Justice, Action for Women & Girls with Special Needs in Nigeria” did more than mark a global celebration. It created space for truth-telling and demanded action.

“We want participants to speak openly about these issues,” said Patience Ekeoba, UN Women Acting Deputy Representative “Because you cannot truly understand where the shoe pinches unless you have worn it.”

Across the room, those “shoes” took many forms, women living with HIV, women with disabilities, elderly women, and internally displaced women and girls. Their stories revealed a common thread: layered, intersecting barriers that limit access to healthcare, education, justice, and economic opportunity.

In her opening remarks, UN Women Country Representative Beatrice Eyong made the intention unmistakable. “We turn our attention, deliberately and unapologetically, to these women,” she said. “These are not personal failings; they are systemic failures.” Her words captured the heart of the dialogue, that inequality, in these cases, is not accidental, it is built into systems that fail to recognize the complexity of women’s lives. As she noted, “None of these women exists in a single category, at these crossroads, hardship does not simply add up, it multiplies.”

What followed was a powerful blend of data, testimony, and reflection. Speakers highlighted stark realities: women make up the majority of Nigeria’s internally displaced population; over a million women are living with HIV; and millions of women with disabilities remain excluded from education, employment, and political participation. For many, these challenges overlap, intensifying vulnerability and deepening exclusion.

Yet, amid these realities, the symposium was far from a catalogue of problems. It was a space for solutions, practical, grounded, and urgent. Women with disabilities called for accessibility. “Accessibility is not charity; it is a right and an economic opportunity,” one speaker emphasized, highlighting how inclusive infrastructure can unlock productivity and independence. Women living with HIV highlighted the need for economic empowerment, linking financial independence to reduced vulnerability to gender-based violence and improved health outcomes. Elderly women called for social protection systems that recognise their dignity and contributions. Internally displaced women stressed the need for safe living conditions, access to water, healthcare, and opportunities to rebuild their lives.

Again and again, the message was clear: inclusion is not a favour, it is a necessity for national development.

Government representatives and partners responded with commitments to do better, through inclusive policies, expanded social protection, and more transparent, gender-responsive budgeting. There were calls for a national conversation on accessibility, stronger collaboration across sectors, and deliberate efforts to ensure that no woman is left behind.

But perhaps the most powerful shift was in perspective. As one speaker noted, vulnerability is not inherent, it is created when systems fail to protect and provide. And when those systems are redesigned with inclusion in mind, the results ripple outward: stronger families, more resilient communities, and a more equitable society.

By the close of the symposium, the room echoed with shared commitment, the path forward became clearer, one where policies reflect real lives, where voices at the margins shape decisions, and where Nigeria’s progress is defined not by how far it has come, but by who it chooses to carry along.