Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility: How to Empower Women and Girls with Disabilities

What is the problem?

• Over one billion people worldwide experience some form of disability.
• Global prevalence is greater for women than men, standing at 19 per cent compared with 12 per cent respectively.
• Women and girls with disabilities face multiple barriers and discrimination that limit their rights, opportunities, and well-being.
• They are more likely to experience poverty, violence, illiteracy, poor health, and social exclusion than their male counterparts or women without disabilities.

What are the solutions?

• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs provide a powerful framework to guide local communities, countries and the international community toward the achievement of disability-inclusive development
• The 2030 Agenda pledges to leave no one behind, including persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups, and recognizes disability as a cross-cutting issue to be considered in the implementation of all of its goals.
• The Agenda also includes seven targets and 11 indicators explicitly referencing persons with disabilities, covering access to education and employment, availability of schools that are sensitive to students with disabilities, inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities, accessible transport, accessible public and green spaces, and building the capacity of countries to disaggregate data by disability.

How can we empower women and girls with disabilities?

• To achieve gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls, it is essential that the specific needs and rights of women and girls with disabilities are mainstreamed across all efforts to implement the SDGs.
• In particular, SDG 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) is crucial for addressing the multiple forms of discrimination and violence that women and girls with disabilities face in their homes, communities, workplaces, and public spaces.
• Some key actions to empower women and girls with disabilities under SDG 5 are:
• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere (Target 5.1)
• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres (Target 5.2)
• Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life (Target 5.5)
• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights (Target 5.6)
• Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels (Target 5.C)

What are the benefits of empowering women and girls with disabilities?

• Empowering women and girls with disabilities can contribute to creating a more sustainable, responsible and inclusive world for everyone.
• Women and girls with disabilities have valuable skills, knowledge, experiences, and perspectives that can enrich sustainability and CSR efforts.
• They are not only beneficiaries but also agents of change who can make a positive difference in their communities and beyond.
• Empowering women and girls with disabilities can also have positive spillover effects on their families, communities, and societies.
• For example, increasing the income and education of women and girls with disabilities can improve their health and nutrition, reduce child mortality and fertility, enhance their children’s education and future prospects, and contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction.
• Moreover, empowering women and girls with disabilities can foster social cohesion and peace, as they can act as bridge-builders and mediators between different groups and stakeholders.
• Furthermore, empowering women and girls with disabilities can advance human rights and democracy, as they can raise awareness and advocate for the rights of themselves and others, challenge discrimination and injustice, and hold duty-bearers accountable.

How can we get involved?

There are many ways that we can get involved in empowering women and girls with disabilities and supporting their participation and leadership in sustainability and CSR initiatives.

Some examples are:

• Learn more about the issues and challenges that women and girls with disabilities face, as well as their achievements and contributions. Share this knowledge with others through social media, blogs, podcasts, webinars, etc.
• Support organizations and movements that work for the rights and empowerment of women and girls with disabilities. Donate, volunteer, partner, or advocate for their causes.
• Engage with women and girls with disabilities in your community or workplace. Listen to their stories, perspectives, and needs. Involve them in decision-making processes and leadership roles. Respect their diversity, dignity, and autonomy.
• Promote accessibility and inclusion in your environment. Ensure that your products, services, facilities, events, communications, etc. are accessible to persons with disabilities. Follow the universal design principles that benefit everyone.
• Celebrate the achievements and contributions of women and girls with disabilities. Recognize their talents, skills, creativity, and innovation. Nominate them for awards, scholarships, grants, etc.

Conclusion

• Women and girls with disabilities are a diverse and powerful group of people who can make a positive impact on sustainability and CSR.
• However, they face multiple barriers and discrimination that limit their potential and well-being.
• The SDGs provide a framework and an opportunity to empower women and girls with disabilities and promote their participation and leadership in sustainability and CSR initiatives.
• By using the SDGs as tools to empower women and girls with disabilities, we can contribute to creating a more sustainable, responsible, and inclusive world for everyone.