Funding Partner: Ford Foundation
Project Duration: 36 months
Project Summary:
This initiative seeks to usher in a transformative era, ensuring the right of persons with disabilities to robust social protection policies and crisis response programs across Arab nations. The project endeavors to catalyze collaborative efforts among Arab governments, private entities, civil society stakeholders, and international organizations within the region. The goals include:
1. Amplifying awareness at local, regional, and global levels about the socio-economic challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, emphasizing the need for inclusive social protection and emergency response programs—especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
2. Strengthening platforms for collaboration between experts and regional/international entities, providing a well-informed framework to drive our campaign for the integration of persons with disabilities into social protection initiatives across Arab countries.
3. Advocating for comprehensive social protection policies and responsive measures within Arab governments, as well as garnering support from regional and international stakeholders, all propelled by effective grassroots mobilization.
Project Achievements:
- Conducted swift assessments on the intersection of disability and COVID-19 impacts.
- Facilitated virtual dialogues with stakeholders, nurturing partnerships between experts and regional/global organizations to shape our campaign for disability inclusion in social protection programs.
- Bolstered advocacy and oversight by our country members, guaranteeing the participation of persons with disabilities in local COVID-19 response initiatives.
- Produced a regional analytical study on World Bank post-COVID-19 projects and employment services, analyzing their disability inclusiveness.
- Established a steering committee dedicated to the nexus of social protection and disability in the Arab region.
Upcoming Activities in 2023:
- Hosting a regional training workshop on advocating for social protection policies, in collaboration with the World Bank.
- Launching a regional media campaign to underscore the significance of social protection for persons with disabilities.
- Initiating a wide-reaching advocacy campaign across the region to promote disability-inclusive social protection.
- Convening a significant regional conference centered on the intersection of social protection and disability.
- Facilitating a comprehensive dialogue with high-level leadership from the World Bank-USA.
