THE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS FACING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH
CPwD CHAIRPERSON: ROLE OF COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS IN ADVANCING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES I welcome you all to this edition of The Parliamentarian on the theme of ‘The challenges and barriers facing people with disabilities in the Commonwealth’ and asking the question ‘What role can Commonwealth Parliaments and Parliamentarians play in advancing and supporting people with disabilities?’ On 10 December across the globe, the world celebrates International Human Rights Day to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). We recognise that democracy thrives when all citizens have their voices heard and that inclusion of Parliamentarians with disabilities is crucial in advancing Parliamentary democracy. The genuine participation of all citizens, including persons with disabilities, in political processes is one important measure of democracy. Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) states the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs) to participate in political and public life without discrimination and on an equal basis with others. Countries are obligated to provide free and fair environments for all persons, including those with disabilities, enjoy political participation without discrimination. These are all fundamental human rights that promote democracy. However, many persons with disabilities across the globe still face difficulties in their efforts to realise these rights. In Africa and across the world, Parliamentarians with disabilities are represented, although their presence is negligible. It is rare that persons with disabilities achieve electoral success and enter Parliament. Challenges include inaccessibility to polling stations, inaccessible polling materials (including braille), disability insensitive political parties, which compound to deny these rights. Democracy thrives when countries prioritise the hopes and aspirations of their most vulnerable minorities. The Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network exists to support Parliamentarians with disabilities to be more effective in their roles. Recently, in partnership with the Kenya National Assembly, the CPwD network convened the inaugural CPwD Africa Regional Conference for Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities in Nairobi, Kenya (turn to news report on page 347). This
Regional Conference brought together 18 Legislators with disabilities and their carers from Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Kenya to deliberate on disability concerns in the region, providing a platform for MPs with disabilities to highlight the challenges that they face in their daily execution of their roles, and how these challenges can be overcome. It provided an excellent opportunity for sharing experiences among MPs with disabilities, exchanging policy ideas on how well to articulate, demand and promote the rights of persons with disabilities. The CPwD Regional Conference developed outcomes and resolutions that will continue to shape the agenda across Legislatures, enhancing advocacy among MPs with disabilities thereby promoting the electability of persons with disabilities into Legislatures and public spaces. The Regional Conference also saw the signing of #CPwDAfricaResolutions by Members pledging to strengthen and amplify voices of persons with disabilities in the region for more inclusive socio-economic and political systems. The Regional Conference’s Outcome Statement and resolutions will continue to shape the agenda across the continent’s Legislatures, enhancing advocacy among MPs with disabilities and thereby promoting electability of persons with disabilities into legislatures and public spaces. As Chairperson of the CPwD network, I note with gratitude the role that the network plays in promoting the representation of persons with disabilities in democratic institutions. The Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Strategic Plan 2021-2024 places at its centre issues that persons with disabilities across the Commonwealth face in a rapidly changing environment. The Strategic Plan focuses on its core theme of parliamentary strengthening and democratic governance. It seeks to support Parliamentarians with disabilities by helping them develop a culture of inclusivity for persons with disabilities. It was informed by a review process led by the CPA Headquarters Secretariat and input from the CPwD membership. In addition, the multi sectoral presentations and experiences of MPs with disabilities provided a platform for Members to measure the legislative actions of respective countries in addressing the plight of persons with disabilities. Thank you for your continued support.
Hon. Dennitah Ghati, HSC MP
was nominated as a Member of the National Assembly of Kenya in 2017 to represent the special interests of persons with disabilities, and she recently became the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD). Previously working as a journalist in Kenya, she was first elected to the National Assembly in 2013 as the first female representative for Migori county. A year later, she was involved in a serious car accident in Nairobi that sadly resulted in a spinal injury and use of a wheelchair. As a result, she founded the Dennitah Ghati Disability Foundation, a non-profit foundation that seeks to empower persons with disabilities.
344 | The Parliamentarian | 2021: Issue Four | 100 years of publishing
