Disability is not Inability

::Creating more emplyment opportunities for Disabled women 20 October 2006.

The number of disabled women in various employment positions depends alot on how many go to school and are there fore able to take opportunites that are available. Disabled women face alot of challenges in this area.

Lack of opportunites for employment begins in while for some after schooling. For many it begins at the family level. Many women with disability begin to face stigma at childhood. Mnay parents would be more concerned to educate the boy that the girl even for chilren with disabilities. Parent would spend money to pay school fees for the boy even with disabilities than for the girl worse if she has disabilities. More parent would ensure their boys with disabilites lead a full normal life than they would grils with disabilities.

This is the beginning of the challenges women with disabilities face. They may not have started or finished school. They may not be chosen for the training or seminar in that office. They may not be chosen to fly for that conference. These are some of the issues that limit their partcipation as women even in the larger society. In organisations sexual favours to get the golden up coming opprotunity is equally a factor within the women with disabilities.

Employment gives opportunities for training and learning. organisations providing an enabling environment for perons with disabilities to improve various of their skills. This depend on if the organisation for or by perons with disabilities. The more inclusion there is in the more aware the organisation is on structures that provide equal participation. Various skills demand various levels of adjustment in the organisation management or operational structures to enable equal participation.

Organsations environments that give more women with disabilities more opportnities to learn the skills reqiured for not only leadership but also management. Many an orgnisation working with persons with disabilities provide more opportunities to men that to women. It is essential that this changes. Strategic organisations in various fields including the government should employ more women in more challenging positions. A good example where women with disabilities have increasingly been given opportunities in a strategic organistaion is Liverpool Deaf Programme.

The programme by experience has increasingly employed more women in its VCT counsellors and peer educators. This has seen more women like Josephine Shisia, Susan Mugambi, Nancy, Miriam and Ruth take greater responsibilities in this highly proffessional carrer and proof themselves. They have learnt the skills required in the office management, computer skills, people management, conference or event organisation etc apart from skills in counselling and peer education.

Pelitah kwamboka at the disabilitykenya too has horned her skills working with and learning within an organistaion that uses alot of volunteer without disabilities. Webdesign using sofware like dreamweaver, or drawing using software like photoshop are skills may women with disabilities cannot easily attain within a classroom environment.

Donor networking, proposal writing and Accounting and report writing skills, are more aquired through networking in seminars and workshops. I would best use the example of Josephine Kalunda (deaf) whose growth in various skills has been tremendous over the last fewt years. To the extent that these days she is able to sit in her computer in her office and write her own proposals!!

every challenge provides its unique opportunities to learn new skills. this is important for both the individuals and the organisation. Which new skills are necessary and how will we maximse our objectives.

disabilitykenya.

Category: Gender

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