Women with Disabilities

Press release and a Study on Girls and Women with Dis in Albania

Albanian Disability Rights Foundation with the support of the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID), and in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities organized on May 26th, 2009 at the Hotel Tirana International, the First National Conference on the โHuman Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Albaniaโ

There are 600 million people with disability around the world, and it is estimated that half of them are women. with disability.

Women in the Albanian society are still being subject to discrimination. Under these circumstances, being a disabled woman further aggravates the situation. Women and girls with disabilities represent one of the most marginalized groups of the society in which we live in, and subject to multiple discrimination. Unfortunately, little or almost nothing is said about the reality of women with disabilities in Albania.The countryโs policy framework so far has failed to include, treat or provide solutions to the elimination of multiple discrimination of women with disabilities.

It is now high time to enhance the awareness level of central and local institutions, not-for-profit organizations and all stakeholder groups, with the view to addressing multiple discrimination of women with disabilities at all levels, to improve their quality of life, their position in the society with all the rights inherent.

That was also the aim of this Conference. In the focus of this conference was also the launch of the report โ Women with Disability in Albania - Included or Neglected?โ. The study โWomen with disabilities in Albania- Included or Neglected?โ represents an evaluation of the inclusion of the rights of women with disabilities in countryโs policy documents focused on achieving gender equality and disability rights. In addition, the study aims to make an assessment of the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in the strategies, programs and activities of the organizations

focused on gender equality and on disability organizations. Data for the conduct of this study were collected through interviews with four responsible departments for the formulation and monitoring of gender equality and disability policy in the MoLSAEO. A qualitative detailed analyses was conducted for the main policy documents related to the scope of this study.

To assess whether or not the women with disabilities were included in the strategies, programs and concrete plans of national and international organizations who currently operate in the country in the area of women, and in the area of people with disability or human rights issues, 38 NPOs whose work focuses on women and gender equality expressed their willingness to participate in the study, along with 28 NPOs whose work focuses on disabled persons and 6 international organizations, which are engaged in developm programs in different areas.

The study demonstrated that despite achievements with regard to the improvement of the legal framework, which fosters gender equality and inclusion of disabled persons, women and girls with disabilities in Albania are still not properly represented in any of the policy documents of the Government of Albania in either of the areas. Women with disabilities are regarded as a non-active category, that should be eligible only to social services and disability payments and their issues are not specifically addressed in any of the areas, which aim to empower and to include them in decision-making process, to enable accessible health care services and employment or their economic empowerment. The results of the study provide evidence that women with disabilities have been deprived of access to universal services since they are not planned in compliance with and in response to their specific needs.

The results of interviews with women NPOs indicate that women with disabilities do not get the necessary attention/focus to be integral part of their programs.

Furthermore, even among disability area organizations, women with disabilities are not regarded as a group, which deserves special considerations.

Women and girls with disabilities did not make the focus of the programs of some of the international organizations currently operating in the country. Participants in the Conference, representatives of governmental institutions, Ministry of Labor, Socail Affairs and Equal Opportunities, USAID Representatives, Representatives of the Albanian Disability Rights Foundation, and other actors from central and local governmental and nongovernmental institutions who spoke in the Conference presented facts and findings identified and related to lives of women with disability..

Of special interest in this Conference were the presentations of Young Girls and Women with Disability, members of the Group of Intellectual Women with Disability (GWID) at ADRF. Active Women of GWID) talked about problematic issues based on daily life experiences of women with disability in Albania., as well as launched for discussion a package of recommendations with objective and specific measures in some of the major areas as a Platform to the Government, with the request to make an action plan that will aim equal rights and full participation of women with disability in the society as well as improvement of their quality of life.

Albanian Disability Rights Foundation is an Albanian non-governmental organization that has advocated for the human rights and people with disabilities since 1996. The ADRF empowers individuals with disabilities and their family member, provides technical and policy-level advice regarding human rights, and raises public awareness and develops consistent monitoring concerning human rights protection for people with disability.

For further information you may contact: Blerta Cani

Tel: + 355 4 2269 426

E-mail: adrf@albmail.com

Website: www.adrf.org.al

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By: Albanian Disability Rights Foundation
When: 7/2/2014