In the vibrant city of Abuja, Nigeria, Patience Ogoro Dickson stands as a beacon of leadership and hope for women and girls with disabilities across West Africa. She is the Executive Director of the Association of Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) and serves as the Regional Representative for West Africa within Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA).
A dynamic advocate and community organizer, Patience has spent more than a decade advancing the rights of women with disabilities through advocacy, leadership development, and community empowerment. Her work bridges the local and the global—connecting grassroots realities in Nigeria to regional and international policy processes.
Under her leadership, AWWDI has implemented a wide range of initiatives addressing gender equality, disability inclusion, and climate justice. Recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change on women with disabilities, especially those in rural communities, AWWDI launched an Inclusive Climate Action Project, which raises awareness on disaster preparedness, promotes access to climate information, and trains women with disabilities in sustainable livelihood practices such as eco-friendly crafts and small-scale agriculture.
“Climate change affects everyone, but women with disabilities are often the least informed and the most affected,” says Patience. “We are changing that by giving them a voice and a platform to act as community leaders in climate resilience.”
Beyond her work on climate action, Patience has been instrumental in promoting human rights accountability at the international level. Through AWWDI, she has contributed to UN treaty reporting processes in Geneva, particularly in relation to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Her advocacy ensures that the lived experiences of Nigerian women and girls with disabilities are reflected in global monitoring frameworks and that governments are held accountable to their commitments.
At the national level, AWWDI has led campaigns on inclusive education, economic empowerment, and ending gender-based violence (GBV) against women with disabilities. The organization has provided vocational training, entrepreneurship mentorship, and awareness programs that equip women with disabilities to lead economically independent and dignified lives.
“Our biggest barrier has never been disability itself, it’s the mindset of exclusion,” Patience reflects. “When society removes those barriers, women with disabilities can lead in every sphere, political, economic, and environmental.”
As DIWA’s Regional Representative for West Africa, Patience also plays a vital role in strengthening cross-country collaboration and solidarity among member organizations in the subregion. Through her leadership, DIWA continues to expand its regional advocacy footprint, linking national movements to continental dialogues at the African Union and United Nations levels.
“Through DIWA, we are showing that women with disabilities are not on the sidelines of change, we are driving it,” she says. “Whether in Geneva, Abuja, or Accra, our message is the same: inclusion, equality, and justice for all.”
Patience’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and purpose. Her leadership reminds Africa that inclusion is vital
