CREATING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES (WWDS)

CREATING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR

WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES (WWDS)

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 and girls with disabilities are

in a much more difficult and

sometimes more complicated

situation.

Disability

Poverty

Gender


In societies where roles

are often defined based on the ability to

be:

Good wife andpartner

Raise children Take care of the home and

the needs of a family

Woman with disability is seldom seen as a good girlfriend

Wifemother material

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.


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.

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.



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.

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 UN-CRPD 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.



• 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



• 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 RamirezIntern RI

Documents

CREATING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES (WWDS)