Transcript CREATING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES

By Venus M. Ilagan
Women in general, in various stages of their lives, experience
DISCRIMINATION…….
Whether at home within
their patriarchal families
where boys and men are
accorded greater value
than girls and women, in
the work place, in school,
or just anywhere and
everywhere
Until recently, we did
not enjoy the same
rights nor duties and
responsibilities as our
male counterparts do.
We were often referred to as
the “weaker” sex – weak,
fragile, indecisive,
dependent – and all other
kinds of adjectives to denote
weakness. This is the case
for women in general.
Women in general, in
various stages of their
lives, experience
DISCRIMINATION…….
Women and girls
with disabilities are
in a much more
difficult and
sometimes more
complicated
situation.
Good wife and
partner
Women in general, in
various stages of their
lives, experience
DISCRIMINATION…….
Raise children
Take care of the home and
the needs of a family
Woman with disability is seldom seen
as a good girlfriend
Wife
mother material
In societies
where roles
are often
defined based
on the ability
to be:
Dependent on her
husband for support
most often a burden to
the family and her
husband’s family
HOW TO WE LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD TO EMPOWER WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AND BE PRODUCTIVE?
• A publication of the Southern African Federation
of the Disabled (SAFOD) defines “Leveling the
playing field” as removing numerous barriers so
persons with disabilities.
• Women in this case: can access education and training, health care,
get jobs so they can be self-reliant and independent.
HOW TO WE LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD TO EMPOWER WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AND BE PRODUCTIVE?
• It calls for a “rights based approach” for the removal of physical and
social barriers for rethinking policies and attitudes and for governments
to walk the talk by ensuring that adequate resources are made
available for initiatives on universal design:
Accessible
Technology
Coordinated public-private programs
and services to facilitate inclusion
Meaningful participation of women with disabilities as
contributing members in the development of their
families, communities, societies and countries.
HOW TO WE LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD TO EMPOWER WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AND BE PRODUCTIVE?
There is no need to reinvent the wheel. There are practical examples of initiatives
developed in both northern and southern countries on how to include persons with
disabilities in development. These have to be shared in order not to waste limited
resources during these hard economic times.
Women with disabilities have so much to offer in terms of contribution to
development but they have to be provided reasonable accommodation and support
to harness their potentials as contributing members of their families and
communities.
HOW TO WE LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD TO EMPOWER WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AND BE PRODUCTIVE?
In spite of economic challenges, there is an urgent need for governments to invest financially in enabling people
with disabilities to go to work and earn an income – the first step to their economic independence and the
enjoyment of their human rights.
There is also evidence that people who have a job enjoy greater positive self-esteem than those who do not work
and earn an income at all. As many persons with disability would attest, positive self-image springing from the
work carried out in one’s community contributes to an increased social standing, hence, acceptance. It is
important to acknowledge that everyone’s contribution to development counts.
WHAT COULD BE A WAY FORWARD FOR A POST- 2015
DISABILITY INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA?
Provide equal employment
opportunities for persons
with disabilities, particularly
women.
Demolish employment practices
that are discriminatory and leave
many persons with disabilities,
particularly women, trapped to
doing menial jobs that pay a
fraction of what other workers are
paid for the same kind and amount
of work.
WWDs are expected to deliver the
same amount and quality of work
in exchange of smaller wages
compared to what ordinary women
workers (without disabilities) are
paid.
WHAT COULD BE A WAY FORWARD FOR A POST- 2015
DISABILITY INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA?
While there is increasing acceptance of
disabled people’s right to have employment
just like everyone else, the extent to which
such right is fulfilled is measured using an
entirely different standard that often focuses
on the in-ability rather than the ability to
fulfill and deliver assigned tasks.
This is unacceptable given that the UNCRPD provides the opportunity for policy
makers, people with disabilities and their
families, service providers, employers and
unionists to think differently about
employment, including the outcomes to be
achieved and how these will be measured.
WHAT COULD BE A WAY FORWARD FOR A POST- 2015
DISABILITY INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA?
• If WWDs are to effectively
contribute to development
as an exercise of right,
investment has to be made
to build their capacities to
become productive and
contributing members of
their communities.
This means
In the context of
developing countries
• That approaches to
poverty reduction as it
relates to WWDs, have to
be developmental and
holistic, one that
integrates economic and
social policies to achieve
people-centered
development outcomes.
• This means for example,
increasing the funding
for education so that the
needs of children with
disabilities, especially
girl-children, can be
better addressed and
their inclusion facilitated
and realized early on
IN THEIR LIVES.
WHAT COULD BE A WAY FORWARD FOR A POST- 2015
DISABILITY INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA?
• It can also mean making quality health services affordable and accessible so that the perennially excluded
women with disabilities can have access to these services just like everyone else.
• It also means getting rid of the often repeated cliché that anything done to address disability related concerns are
expensive and unsustainable.
• If persons with disabilities are to be finally included in development, cost should not be an issue that stands in the way to
achieving the goal of inclusion.
• We must also see to it and ensure that the preconditions needed to enable such enjoyment of rights has to be met and
provided for.
Made by: Kenny Paola Ramirez
Intern RI