Economic Empowerment

Economic Empowerment of Women with Disabilities

KIDSEG has been focusing on economic empowerment of women with disabilities over two decades now. This has been an essential aspect of its programming as a way of inclusive development. Women with disabilities in Kisumu County often face multiple layers of discrimination based on both gender and disability. Addressing the economic challenges, they face is crucial not only for promoting gender equality but also for ensuring that development is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. KIDSEG therefore in its programming explores the significance, challenges, and potential strategies for enhancing the economic empowerment of women with disabilities. Economic empowerment of women living with disabilities enabled them to make decisions that affect their lives, control their economic assets, and engage in income-generating activities.

For these women with disabilities, economic empowerment plays a vital role in:

  1. Increasing their independence hence reduce their dependency on families, caregivers, and the state, providing them with greater control over their own lives.
  2. Breaking the cycle of poverty: These women are often disproportionately affected by poverty and therefore economic empowerment makes them break the cycle of poverty and reduce inequality.
  3. Enhancing social inclusion: Economic empowerment is closely tied to social empowerment and therefore when these women with disabilities participate in the labor market, it can shift societal perceptions and reduce stigmatization.

Despite the potential benefits of economic empowerment, these women with disabilities encounter numerous barriers that limit their access to opportunities. These challenges include:

  1. Discrimination and Stigmatization: They often face both gender-based and disability-based discrimination in education, employment, and business. This dual discrimination limits their opportunities for training, employment, and entrepreneurship.
  2. Limited Access to Education and Skills Training: Many of these women do not have access to quality education or vocational training due to inaccessible facilities, lack of inclusive curricula, or societal attitudes that discourage their participation. Without adequate education and skills, they face limited employment opportunities.
  3. Barriers in Employment: Even when educated and skilled, these women still face barriers in securing formal employment. These barriers include workplace discrimination, lack of reasonable accommodations, inaccessible work environments, and biases that question their capabilities.
  4. Lack of Financial Inclusion: Access to financial services is critical for economic empowerment, yet many of these women are excluded from formal financial systems hence lack access to credit, loans, and banking services due to discriminatory lending practices or inaccessible financial institutions.
  5. Legal and Policy Barriers: In Kenya, legal frameworks do not fully protect the rights of women with disabilities to work, own property, or start a business. Weak enforcement of disability rights laws and gender equality laws further compounds these challenges.
  6. Intersectionality of Poverty and Disability: Women with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty, which further limits their ability to access education, healthcare, transportation, and other resources necessary for economic participation. This intersection of poverty and disability creates a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape without targeted interventions.

Strategies for Economic Empowerment of Women with Disabilities

To address the challenges women with disabilities face, KIDSEG has put comprehensive strategies such as;

  1. Inclusive Education and Skills Development:
    • KIDSEG ensures that women with disabilities have access to quality vocational training by providing assistive technologies that support learning and are tailored to meet their specific needs.
  2. Financial Inclusion:
    • After training in business planning and management, KIDSEG links women with disabilities to financial institutions to access loans for their business development to foster their economic independence.
  3. Strengthening Legal Protections and Policy Implementation:
    • Through its advocacy programmes, KIDSEG pushes for full implementation of laws that protect the rights of women with disabilities in employment, entrepreneurship, and access to services. We do this through public awareness campaigns that are essential to change societal perceptions and break down the stigma surrounding women with disabilities. We ensure that we raise awareness of the economic potential of women with disabilities and the importance of including them in the workforce.
  4. Support Networks and Mentorship Programs:
    • KIDSEG provides peer support networks and mentorship programs for women with disabilities that provide them with the guidance, encouragement, and resources needed to succeed in the labor market or entrepreneurship. These networks play a crucial role in building confidence, sharing best practices, and creating a sense of community among women with disabilities.

IMPACT: 500+  women have been trained in vocational trainings and agri-business and are engaged in various income generating activities like sustainable agriculture, biomass briquette production, poultry projects, mushroom cultivation and vocational training like tailoring and hairdressing. They are financially independent and are able to make decision on matters that improve the living standards of their families.

 

 

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