Transcript Conference on Employment of Persons with Disabilities in OIC

“Raising Awareness & Employment
Opportunities”
Organized by: SESRIC - Istanbul, Turkey.
Date: 26- 28 October,2016.
Presentation on the Islamic Republic of The
Gambia.
PRESENTATION
OUTLINE
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 Background
 Data on Disability
 Experiences in PWDs’ employment
 Challenges
 Possible solutions
Background
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The Gambia, was ranked 172 out of 187 countries in the 2014 UN Human
Development Index.
With an annual growth rate of 3.3 per cent, the projected population stands at
1.9 million with s disability prevalence rate of 2.4% (National Census, 2013).
Life expectancy is 63.4 years (Gambian Bureau of Statistics (GBoS), 2007).
The Gambia is among the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa that have
registered substantial progress towards the attainment of the MDGs especially
in education, health and gender, some of which have already been achieved.
under-five mortality declined from 109 to 54 deaths per 1,000 live births (MICS
2010 and DHS 2013).
Poverty rate is 48.4% living below US$1 per person per day (IHS2010). Income
poverty remains concentrated in rural areas, particularly among households
headed by subsistence farmers and unskilled workers (with poverty rates of
79.3 percent and 65.4 percent, respectively).
Con’t
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 The Gambia is located midway on the bulge of the West
Africa coast and stretches over 400 kilometers inland.
 The country’s land area is 10,689 square kilometers almost
equally into two halves: the South Bank and the North
Bank.
 The Gambian climate is typically Sahelian, with a long
dry season from November to May and a short rainy
season between June and October.
 The Gambian economy continues to recover from the
drought experienced in 2011, which caused a decrease in
GDP of 4.3 percent. This was due to a fall in crop
production of about 40 percent (MoA, 2013).
DATA ON DISABILITY
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The total prevalence of any physical disability among
household members age 7-69 is 3%; 2 percent have
difficulty seeing, less than 1% have difficulty hearing,
and slightly over 1% have difficulty using their limbs.
Very few household members age 7-69 (less than 1%)
use crutches, canes, or a wheelchair.
Physical disability increases with increasing age,
reaching its peak at 13% among individuals age 55-64.
There are no major variations by sex, residence, or
wealth.
The prevalence of physical disability is lowest among
those living in Basse (1%) and highest among those
living in Banjul and Janjanbureh (6% each).
In addition, physical disability is most common among
individuals with no education and those in the lowest
wealth quintile (4% each).(source DHS 2013).
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Experience in PWDs’
Employment
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 PWDs who are gainfully employed constitute about 25.3 % of the
national prevalence rate (2.4%).
 Those who are fully employed account for 16.4% and those on part
time basis 8.9%.
 The unemployed constitutes 73.4% of all PWDs of all age groups,
with female rate higher than male.(1998 disability survey).
 Opportunities for employment are slim due to unmet required
qualifications.
 Discrimination for employment is an apparent disadvantage
situation. (Barriers to institutional, physical structure and
communication access).
 Attitudes towards PWDs at workplaces is reportedly fair.
 However, PWDs are fully catered for in the new NSP programme
& NDP (PAGE-2; 2017-2020).
Challenges
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 People’s livelihoods are particularly affected by a dearth of productive employment,
low returns on labour, inadequate support for entrepreneurship development, and
harvest failures among farming households.
 Extreme poverty and vulnerability.
 The limited capacity of the formal labour market forces most people to adopt
precarious, low-paid employment in the informal sector and agricultural work.
PWDs in particular face disadvantages regarding the labour market.
 Lack of education, and technical & vocational skills that resulted to lack of
opportunities for employment .
 Inadequate rehabilitation centres and lack of definite source for assistive devices.
 This situation is compounded by, among others, a limited system of social protection
or support, inappropriate agricultural practices, poor infrastructure and limited
access to markets.
 Stigma and discrimination.
 Unreliable and out-dated data.
Possible Solutions
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Increase and decentralize SNE schools, and rehab. Centres.
Promote and enhance mainstream education and TVET centres.
Advocacy and capacity building activities for empowerment.
Establish inclusive and sound social protection programmes.
Enhance collaboration and synergy with international
organizations that deals with disability.
Dissemination of the CRPD.
Conduct a comprehensive national disability study.
Establish a national disability employment service.
Advocacy for the enactment and harmonization of the PWDs’
Bill.
Advocacy for the implementation of the CRPD.
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I THANK YOU ALL FOR
YOUR KIND ATTENTION.