We cannot call ourselves disability specialists if we know nothing about the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Programme partnership (UNPRPD) Project, in partnership with UNICEF and the EU funded Spotlight Initiate, has successfully completed the last of three capacity building sessions on key disability rights for 29 national and provincial front line disability specialists and social development officers under Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare’s Department of Disability Affairs. This brings the total staff trained over the three training workshops between November 2022 and April 2023 to 80. The four-day training focused on disability inclusion notions, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Harmful Practices and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.
Discussions during the training included the importance of consulting persons with disabilities on policy, programme and project issues in development work. It was agreed that mapping of persons with disabilities in each department across all ministries be done at national, provincial and district levels for sustainability of capacity building efforts, a gap that exists in disability mainstreaming.
The UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa Director (ROSA), Professor Lidia Arthur Brito, commended the Government of Zimbabwe for showing commitment towards respecting the rights of persons with disabilities.
“Rights of persons with disabilities are top priority across Southern Africa. We commend the Government of Zimbabwe, particularly the Ministry of Public Service, Labour & Social Welfare, for showcasing Zimbabwe’s high-level commitment towards advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. In June 2022, we launched the National Disability Policy, and through these trainings we see improved interaction between Duty Bearers and persons with disabilities”, said Prof. Brito.
According to Zimbabwe’s recent Population and Housing Census of 2022, an estimated 9.2% of the population are persons with disabilities.
Speaking on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe, Dr Christine Peta expressed gratitude for the support given to the Department of Disability Affairs by the UNPRPD Project, led by UNESCO and the European Union funded Spotlight Initiative.
“On behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe, we express gratitude to UNPRPD, the Spotlight Initiative and partners for supporting disability work in Zimbabwe. Through their support we now better understand disability issues, most importantly disability rights and know how to handle needs of persons with disabilities for effective representation”, said Dr Peta.
She called on all disability stakeholders to take a new focus when dealing with disability and appreciated tangible results being felt in her ministry as a result of the trainings received by staff from the UNPRPD and Spotlight Initiative projects.
“Inclusion of both rural and urban women and girls across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces and the swift response to sexual and gender-based violence are a result of strengthened capacities of Government staff. We need a paradigm shift and raise awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities”, said Dr Peta.
The workshop was organized by UNESCO ROSA’s Social and Human Sciences Unit and UNICEF Zimbabwe, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare’s Department of Disability Affairs, UNPRPD Project and the EU funded Spotlight Initiative.
Combined, the three trainings have enhanced frontline staff knowledge on disability concepts and resulting in effective disability mainstreaming, including standardization of monitoring and disability disaggregated reporting mechanisms.
The first training on disability inclusion concepts and the National Disability Policy capacitated staff from the Department of Disability Affairs Head Office in Harare and Manicaland Province staff from 27 November to 1 December 2022. The second training workshop took place from 3 to 5 April capacitating staff from five government line ministries, Human Rights Commission executives and a representative of the National SDG Committee on disability concepts and the National Disability Policy. Training was conducted by staff from the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
According to two UNPRPD (UNESCO, 2020) studies in Zimbabwe, women and girls with disabilities continue to face multi-and intersecting forms of discrimination and negative community perspectives exist on disability which perpetuate stigma and discrimination on women and girls with disabilities.
Within the UNPRPD Round 4 Programme on “Strengthening Disability Rights Accountability, Governance and Coordination in Zimbabwe 2022-2023” the training is part of the Government of Zimbabwe’s efforts to address the preconditions that are essential for accelerating the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD). This joint collaboration with UNICEF and the Spotlight Initiative, has ensured a cost-effective approach to advance disability inclusion and will allow both Agencies to showcase to Government that the UN can “Deliver as One”.
For more information about the UNPRPD and Spotlight Initiative projects kindly contact Amina Hamshari, UNESCO ROSA’s Social and Human Sciences Programme Specialist via email on: a.hamshari@unesco.org.