Disabled Nigerian Women Face Forced Sterilisation, Abuse and Illegal Abortions, Advocates Say

Patience Ogolo Dickson, a disabled activist, has spent over a decade supporting women and girls with disabilities in Nigeria and says forced sterilisation and coerced abortions are widespread. She recounts the story of Beatrice, who discovered she had been sterilised as a child without her knowledge, and Adeola, a blind woman in an IDP camp whose partner repeatedly forced her to abort using unsafe herbal methods, leaving her dependent and injured.

Advocates like Ekaete Judith Umoh explain that caregivers—often parents or intimate partners—justify these actions as protective, especially for those with intellectual disabilities, while the secrecy surrounding the crimes makes data scarce. Some families in rural areas also deliberately impregnate disabled women to secure future caretakers, and “baby factories” exploit them for illegal adoption markets. Organizations such as Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative, Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative and the Dorothy Njamene Foundation are working to educate disabled women about their rights and to shift societal attitudes. Despite the illegality of forced sterilisation under Nigerian law, the practice persists, prompting calls for stronger enforcement and broader awareness.