Experts have called on journalists to promote accurate, inclusive and sustained reporting on the impact of climate change on women and girls with disabilities, saying greater media attention is crucial to ensuring their voices are reflected in climate action and policy decisions.
The call was made on Wednesday in Abuja during a media engagement on disability-inclusive climate action organised by organisations of persons with disabilities as part of efforts to secure the formal adoption of a National Guideline on Disability-Inclusive Climate Action by May 2027.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), between 13 and 17 million women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria face heightened climate risks. Globally, about 16 per cent of the population lives with a disability, while the mortality rate of persons with disabilities during disasters can be up to four times higher than that of the general population.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association, Grace Jerry, said women and girls with disabilities are disproportionately affected by climate-induced disasters such as floods, heatwaves and prolonged droughts, yet remain largely underrepresented in climate reporting and public discourse.
She noted that despite the provisions of Nigeria’s National Climate Change Policy (2021-2030) and the National Adaptation Plan, journalists need a better understanding of disability-inclusive climate action to accurately report the challenges, needs and contributions of women and girls with disabilities.
According to her, the media engagement was organised to strengthen journalists’ knowledge of disability-inclusive climate action, raise public awareness and equip media professionals with practical skills and evidence-based reporting techniques.
Jerry expressed hope that participants would adopt a disability-inclusive approach to climate reporting by reflecting the lived experiences, vulnerabilities and resilience of women and girls with disabilities.
She stressed that climate justice cannot be achieved without the meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities, urging governments and stakeholders to mainstream disability inclusion into climate policies, programmes and interventions.