Catherine Edeh
Catherine Edeh is Nigeria's first deaf female lawyer.[1][2] She is an activist for disability rights.[1] Edeh is the first deaf female lawyer in Nigeria.[1] Edeh started the Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI).[3][2] She is the founder and Executive Director.[3] She went to Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, University of Ilorin, and University of Minnesota.[1][4]
Early life
Edeh was born in Enugu, Nigeria.[1] She became deaf when she was five.[4] Her parents wanted her to quit school and learn to be a seamstress or hairdresser.[4] Edeh wanted to stay in school.[4] She braided people's hair to save up money to go to college.[4] She went to Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, and learned sign language there.[4] She studied at University of Ilorin, in Kwara State.[2] Edeh then studied at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, USA.[2]
Career
Edeh noticed the amount of human rights violations disabled people go through every day.[4] She wanted to do something about it.[4] She believed that laws that protected disabled people needed to be put in place in Nigeria.[4] Edeh got her Bachelor of Laws Degree at University of Ilorin.[1] She was the only deaf person in her class.[1] Edeh also studied in the U.S.[1] She went to University of Minnesota.[1]
Edeh is the Executive Director of Voice of Disability Initiative.[3][5] Their goal is to inspire disabled people, especially women.[3] VDI also wants to protect the rights of disabled people.[3][5][6]
Edeh has been helping deaf people go to the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.[2] She did not have a secondary school near her home where she could study.[2] She had to go far away for school.[2] So, she wants a school deaf students can attend in the south part of Nigeria.[2]
Edeh also works to protect deaf girls from violence.[2][7] She works for better healthcare for girls with disabilities.[7][8]
Personal life
Edeh married a deaf man to avoid being mistreated by a hearing husband.[1][9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Meet Catherine Edeh-Nnadi, Nigeria’s First Deaf Female Lawyer (in en-GB). koko.ng (2019-04-27). Retrieved 2023-01-17.[dead link]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Rapheal. I married a deaf man to avoid maltreatment, gossip –Edeh-Nnadi, female lawyer (in en-us). The Sun Nigeria (2019-04-27). Retrieved 2023-02-17.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Report, News Agency. NGO to Remove Barriers Women with Disabilities Face in Accessing Healthcare (in en-GB). Pharmanewsonline (2022-12-08). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 There were times I thought of committing suicide –Edeh, deaf lawyer (in en-US). Punch Newspapers (2016-07-30). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Imohimi, Felicia. (2017, April 5). Lawyer seeks policies protective of physically-challenged persons.. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) (Nigeria). Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current.
- ↑ Lawyer calls for policies protective of the physically-challenged. (2017, April 6). PM News (Nigeria). Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Idris, Salisu Sani. NGO to remove barriers women with disabilities face in accessing healthcare (in en-GB). News Agency of Nigeria (2022-12-07). Retrieved 2023-02-17.
- ↑ Adonu, Chinedu. Group seeks improved access to healthcare for women, girls with disabilities in Enugu. Vanguard (2022-11-21).
- ↑ Simi, Jumoke. ‘I Deliberately Married A Deaf Man’ -Nigerian Female Lawyer, Edeh Nnadi Tells Her Unusual Story (in en-US). Motherhood In-Style Magazine (2019-04-30). Retrieved 2023-02-17.