UN committed to ensuring that no one is left behind in Tanzania

By Zlatan Milisic

Across the globe, 15 per cent of the world’s population – one billion people – live with a disability. They continue to face barriers that prevent them from claiming their rights and participating fully and meaningfully in their community and society, including a lack of accessibility to physical and virtual environments, negative attitudes, stigma and discrimination, and a lack of access to assistive technology, among other factors. Efforts for disability inclusion still too often fail to recognise the agency, expertise, and leadership of persons with disabilities themselves.

Last week on Friday, as we do every year, we recognise persons living with disabilities. While December 3rd is globally marked as the International Day of People with Disability, I believe that it is important for us to integrate disability inclusion in our day-to-day work in acknowledgement of the fact that persons living with disabilities are among those left most further behind in our society. Participation of and partnerships with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations must be at the heart of our efforts in this.

Evidence shows that women and girls living with albinism, and girls and boys with autism are especially vulnerable to violence and are at a relatively higher risk of experiencing sexual violence or being threatened, mistreated, or abandoned. That is why it is especially important that we are commemorating this day as part of the 16 days of Activism to end Gender-based Violence campaign.

A recent analysis conducted by the UN, in collaboration with the Government and the broader development community, found that while progress has been made, key gaps still persist in realising the essential preconditions for disability inclusion in laws, policies and services. These gaps create barriers for all persons with disabilities which make it more difficult for them enjoy their full rights and freedoms.

The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has demonstrated that they are committed to promoting and protecting the rights of persons living with disabilities as evidenced by national policies and laws and the country’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). We at the United Nations applaud this commitment and the steps already taken to implement the Convention. We hope to see increasing efforts, including technical and financial commitments, towards the comprehensive implementation of the Convention in the coming years.

I believe that national efforts to prevent and respond to GBV must continue to especially include measures to realise the rights of women and girls that are living with disabilities. This should include measures such as improving access to justice for women living with disabilities who experience GBV; ensuring that GBV and sexual and reproductive health services are disability-inclusive; and that women with disabilities and their careers are economically empowered. We should also prioritise ensuring that women with disabilities are in leadership positions in disability organisations and related coordination mechanisms.

Guided by global development frameworks and standards, the UN in Tanzania has been promoting the rights of persons living with disabilities by supporting, for example, the adoption of the Gender and Social Inclusion Policy; the collection of more comprehensive disability data and dialogue and awareness raising efforts at the national and community level to address stigma and discrimination against persons living with disabilities, including persons living with albinism.

Last year, the UN in Tanzania carried out an internal assessment on disability inclusion so that we get a better idea of areas in which we can further mainstream disability inclusion. We are committed to investing in internal awareness-raising and looking at our workplace through a disability inclusive-lens.

I am committed to ensuring that the UN in Tanzania continues working with the Government, persons with disabilities and their representative organisations, development partners, civil society and all stakeholders and partners to ensure that no person is left behind.

Zlatan Milisic is the UN Resident Coordinator in Tanzania