1. Women with Disabilities

2. Disabilities Among Refugees and Conflict-Affected Populations Six month research project Goals: Raise awareness Change practice Studied five country operations Interviewed practitioners, donors, policy makers, experts, and refugees with disabilities Looked at all sectors of service provision Covered camp-based and urban populations

3. Sectors Assessed Identification and registration camp layout and infrastructure food and nutrition health services psychosocial services inclusive education vocational training, employment and livelihoods participation and community inclusion protection

4. Women’s work in refugee and IDP contexts

5. Collecting firewood

6. Child care

7. cooking

8. Income generation

9. Food distributions

10. What if that woman has a disability?

11. Consider the risks women fleeing conflict face

12. Findings Less able to flee, more often left behind during return Refugees with disabilities often forgotten and invisible – even more so for women Those with disabilities more limited by our actions than by their physical and mental abilities Potential to contribute and participate seldom recognized

13. Traditional community coping mechanisms, including extended families, neighbors and other caregivers, often break down during displacement Protection risks: discrimination, harassment, stigmatization, neglect and exclusion Risks of sexual violence and abuse

14. Consider not only women with disabilities but mothers/care-givers of children with disabilities

15. GAPS No organization serving as convener Near complete lack of awareness among mainstream service providers Lack of engagement of local DPOs

16. Solutions – Application of the Convention The principles enshrined in the UN Convention should underpin all refugee and IDP assistance programs Article 11 calls on States Parties to take “all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.”

17. Solutions Conflicts and emergencies can be catalysts for positive social, attitudinal and environmental change Centralized data collection system – disaggregated by age, gender, type of disability Disability awareness for all service providers Establish self-help and support networks Provide equal access and opportunity for all mainstream services The provision of needed targeted services

19. Resource Kit For fieldworkers Practical checklists and tools on how to improve services and protection for displaced persons with disabilities