consultation workshop quetta

1 National Forum of Women with Disabilities | February 2013 | Email: [email protected]

CONSULTATION WORKSHOP WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES IN DEVELOPMENT

23 February 2013, Quetta


INTRODUCTION

Women with disabilities are disadvantaged in several key areas when compared with other women, men with disabilities, and the society as a whole. These women face a triple handicap and discrimination due to their disability, gender and developing world status.

Considering the estimation of 2010 within the global population ‘more than a billion people are living with some form of disability, or about 15% of the world’s population’(WHO, WB 2011:7). Women outnumber men, as in the developing countries, women constitute up to three quarters of all persons with disabilities. Between 65% and 70% of these women with disabilities live in rural areas. The prevalence of disability in Pakistan is about 2.49 % (according to the 1998 National Population Census report). Approximately 3.2 million persons with disabilities (2.49 per cent of the population), 1.37 million of which are females.

The efforts of the public sector and UN/International Organizations have brought about a thematic change in enhancing the awareness among the People with Disabilities (PWDs) in Pakistan. The NGOs have also played an effective role in motivating the private sector and in creating awareness and sense of responsibility at the policy levels. Although Pakistan government is a signatory to UNCRPD, Women with disabilities are disadvantaged. The systematic exclusion of persons with disabilities overall, and specifically women with disabilities, from the rest of the society is the key factor behind the growing campaigns for the networking and raising joint voices of women with disabilities world-wide.

On 23 February 2013, coordination meeting of women with disabilities organized which was attended by 23-25 women with disabilities, organized by National Forum on Women with Disabilities & Socio-Dost Pakistan(A joint venture on Disability)and observed by UN-Women Quetta, CHEF International , STEP & , Taraqee Foundation.

Women with Disabilities in Balochistan :

Women with disabilities face double discrimination. First and foremost as women, secondly as women with disabilities, it is still worse if a woman has disability this means this person is being discriminated against double times over.

Women with disabilities are consistently among the most marginalized populations in Balochistan. This results in exclusion from economic life, social life, community life, and society at wide making them invisible and easily forgotten in the development agenda. Barriers in the physical and social/Cultural environment prevent many women with disabilities from reaching out to or even learning about. Negative attitudes or perceptions that society hold toward women with disabilities may themselves create barriers to their participation,


Disability awareness, as perceived from the cultural and social paradigm, is a step to remove these social and environmental barriers to enable the full social, physical and spiritual participation of women with disabilities in the community.

Socio-economic situation:-

The Person with disabilities of Balochistan though Eligible for development programs funded by the Govt. still remains exploited & deprived of their basic human rights. All the areas are politicized. The overall economic situation of the local people as well as Person with disabilities is very bad. Migration is a major problem of this area. The Province of Balochistan occupies about 45% of the total land mass of Pakistan and shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan. For over two decades, the province has represented a haven for Afghans fleeing war and violence in their home country. An estimated 600,000 Afghan refugees currently reside in Balochistan, primarily in camps and refugee villages.

Critical situation of law and order and Poverty has become a viscous circle resulting in rapid marginalization and helplessness. In this situation it is quite obvious that the condition of the women with disabilities and especially that of the physically challenged is more deplorable.

Health & Education:

Due to poor economic condition these w are deprived to avail the existing health & education services. Education of the WWDs in the province has been neglected very much. They do not know the benefit of a good environment with improved Health conditions.

Community Organizations:

There are very few numbers of DPOs(disabled people organizations) in the biggest province of Pakistan. There is no existence of main stream organizations working on Disability Awareness. Also the representatives of Special Education and social welfare department do not have much awareness about the rights of Pwds especially WWDs are fully neglected.

This Workshop was initiated to help consolidate knowledge about the situation of women with disabilities in Balochistan. More importantly, it was meant as a preliminary step toward addressing the challenges faced by women with disabilities in Balochistan. This workshop is an opportunity for women to exchange opinions shaped by individual experiences and backgrounds and a dynamic exchange of perspectives, experiences, and observations that might not emerge as readily in a more formally structured study. Such experiences and insights could help trigger new, informative lines of research or innovative solutions to perplexing social problems.

OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING:

1. Networking and Collaboration: To promote the cooperation on women with disability related concerns through strengthening and facilitating Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) in Quetta and to link them further on the whole province and national level.


2. Role of Disabled People Organization to promote the rights of women with disabilities: To achieve the mainstreamed implementation of the UNCRPD (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities).

3. National Forum of Women with Disabilities Presence in Baluchistan Province: To offer expert advice, research, technical cooperation and operational assistance to States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders, in order to regional capacities and national cooperation on the concerns of women with disabilities.

4. Role of Women with Disabilities: To empower, facilitate and engage women with disabilities from very grass-roots level.

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Welcome Note Mr. Faris Mughal President DOST Key Note Speech Mr. AmaanUlah Khan CHEF International Key Note Speech Mr. Ali Shabbar STEP Key Note Speech Mr. Amaan ullah Kakar CEO Socio Pakistan

Consultation Workshop Introduction of the Forum and objectives of the meeting

Ms. Abia Akram

Group Discussions

Women with Disabilities Discussions in presence of observers Discussions in absence of observers Conclusions Comments by Observers UN Women Taraqee Foundation

POINTS DISCUSSED

In the history of the disability movement, first time the concerns of women with disabilities were discussed in Balochistan Province. In this deprived Province the main concern is discrimination and negligence because of cultural background.

The DPOs discussed the concern that we would like to work on this network with mutual cooperation and support and to get benefit of sharing experiences that can help address weaknesses, enhance strengths, and deepen the resolve to pursue the path of rights of women with disabilities. For this will be ready provide a platform for women with disabilities to more interact. And this workshop will play a role of Ice Breaker since its first they are meeting with each other.

There is a need to strengthen their capacities and organize some training for them, so they could learn about their role and be able to contribute in DPOs work.


There is also a possibility to initially share the key issue of women with disabilities in that particular area and focused on that can make a practical plan for them.

From discussions women with disabilities themselves identified women with disabilities don’t have any representation they have to face lots of difficulties even in day to day activities, they don’t have right to get marry with their own choice. At the same time, Stigma remains in society at large, within communities, and even, in many cases of uneducated segments of society, within families who see disabled women as a loss of productive potential and a drain on family resources. So, while on the one hand, the strong cultural family network ensures their financial security, on the other, the stigma often results in their remaining invisible members of society.

OUTCOME:

The Disabled People’s Organizations will conduct specific outreach efforts to include women with disabilities.

The information flow for women with disabilities needs to be coordinated. To address this concern SOCIO- DOST Pakistan kindly offer to facilitate and provide a platform for women with disabilities to coordinate

The DPOs will support the NFWWDs and will establish a coordinating body of Balochistan Province: the role of the forum will be

To contribute to the development of DPOs through research, dialogue, design and implementation of gender-related programmes aimed at maximizing women with disabilities leadership.

To be a primary reference point for women with disabilities information, research, best practices, data collection, compatibility and sharing.

To promote, facilitate and support national debate and dialogue on rights of women with disabilities, to advance understanding of the opportunities and challenges it presents, the identification and development of effective policies for addressing those challenges and to identify comprehensive approaches and measures for advancing international cooperation.

To participate in coordinated plans in the context of CBID and IL Networks in the disability movement

WAY FORWARD:

It was the first brainstorming session, need to plan in detail. WWDs need platform to represent and share their experiences Since 4- 5 women with disabilities were identifies will have a meeting with them to lead the

National Forum of Women with Disabilities in Balochistan, through this platform the affective


and strong network in which all leading women with disabilities will share data/ case studies of women with disabilities

Forum will review ten cases in each meeting for follow up from women with disabilities Will plan to raise funds to organize meetings, seminars trainings and future activities on

international level. Capacity building of potential women with disabilities group who is going to lead the Baluchistan

chapter in the future. Exposure opportunities for women with disabilities and their linkages with other mainstream

organizations. Poverty is a major barrier for women with disabilities for their full and effective participation in

the society and meaningful involvement of women with disabilities in poverty alleviation projects should be made sure on an equal basis with others.

Due to their poor socioeconomic condition there is a dire need to provide livelihood opportunities to women with disabilities.


PICTORIAL PRESENTATION OF THE WORKSHOP

consultation workshop quetta

Documents