Huge turn-out at European Development Days
On 5th and 6th June, the European Development Days (EDDs) took place in Brussels in the presence of high-level representatives from governments, local authorities Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other key stakeholders from all over the world.Over 42,000 people from 154 countries attended this event.
CBM has been actively involved presenting our project “Inclusion, Equity and Social Cohesion for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Honduras”. CBM has also been present in some sessions presenting our advocacy work on the rights of women and girls with disabilities.
EDDs – An opportunity to connect
The EDDs is an annual event organised by the European Commission (EC) with the aim of bringing the development community together to share ideas and experiences in ways that inspire new partnerships and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Each year the EDDs are focused on one different topic and this year the development community came together to discuss “Women and Girls at the Forefront of Sustainable Development: protect, empower, invest”.
For the first time, CBM has been actively involved with its own stand presenting a project, co-funded by the European Union (EU) and CBM. This project, “Inclusion, Equity and Social Cohesion for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Honduras”, counts on the support of our local partner PREPACE (Brain Paralysis Rehabilitation Programme) in Honduras. To present our project and to create new synergies with other CSOs Xiomara Herrera and Karola Lopez, representatives working with PREPACE in Honduras, came to Brussels to bring their expertise about women and girls with disabilities in Honduras and Latin America.
The CBM stand offered an opportunity to exchange information and to connect with different organisations at international, national and regional level. Especially relevant is the presence of Roberto Ochoa Madrid, ambassador of Honduras to the EU. This was an excellent opportunity to create awareness on CBM actions and programmes in Honduras.
Gender and disability – Breaking the gap and promoting diversity
In addition to the stand, CBM counted on the expertise and knowledge of Mia Farah, self-advocate for the rights of women and girls with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities. Mia attended different panels with the aim of including the disability perspective. Especially relevant was her intervention on the panel “Girls on the Move – Protecting Girls in Migration and Displacement”, organised by Save The Children, the Danish Refugee Council and the International Organisation for Migration.
Despite the relevant presence of women and girls with disabilities at the EDDs this year, CBM realised the need to include a disability approach in the panels organised by mainstream organisations and the different institutions at national, regional and international level. In this sense, we welcome the presence of Nidhi Goyal, Founder and Director of Rising Flame, in the closing ceremony of the EDDs. CBM will work with the EC to ensure that persons with disabilities and their representative organisations are present in the next EDDs, but also to support the organisers to guarantee full accessibility of the venue to ensure that no one is left behind in this important annual event.