Disability Rights and Elections Modular Workshop

ZESN Conducts BRIDGE Disability Rights and Elections Workshop

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) conducted a BRIDGE Modular Workshop on Disability Rights and Elections. The workshop targeted persons with disabilities representing various civil society organisations and other electoral stakeholders, such as representatives from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Zimbabwe Gender Commission. Women and Youth organisations were also in attendance. A total of 26 participants (10 males and 16 females) attended the workshop held at the Wild Geese Lodge in Harare, Zimbabwe from 30 September 2024 to 2 October 2024.

The training was an opportunity to promote inclusivity and equal participation in the electoral process for persons with disabilities. It was anchored by the need to identify barriers in all phases of the electoral process that can limit the access of persons with disabilities to participate in political and public life and identify solutions for dismantling these barriers. In addition, the workshop provided a networking opportunity for advocacy groups. It equipped them with specific tools to analyse the electoral structures and procedures and develop strategies to promote access for persons with disabilities. Emphasis was placed on the importance of consultation processes with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations throughout the electoral cycle in order to identify and remove barriers that limit political participation. At the end of the workshop, participants shared individual strategic reform plans to enhance and promote disability rights.

The Executive Director of ZESN and Lead Facilitator, Mrs. Rindai Chipfunde Vava gave the welcome remarks in which she stated that despite progress made by the disability rights movement and the shift towards inclusivity, persons with disability still face numerous challenges. She highlighted that they often encounter barriers such as stigma, discrimination, inadequate healthcare, and lack of accessibility to transportation and infrastructure. These obstacles prevent them from participating fully and equally in society, as highlighted by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Hence the need to take collective action to ensure their rights are respected and upheld. She urged all participants to use the opportunity to learn, discuss, and strategise on creating an inclusive and accessible world for all.

The official remarks were delivered by The UNDP Programme Analyst on Disability, Mr Gift Govere, underscored that the World Health Organisation states that about 16% of the world’s population has some form of impairment, with the prevalence being higher in developing countries where 80% of persons with disabilities live. He added that, in Zimbabwe, the recent National Census highlighted that the prevalence of disability is 9.2%. Despite these statistics, persons with disabilities continue to face numerous socioeconomic challenges and barriers and consequently remain largely excluded from decision-making processes about issues that affect their lives. Moreover, they face numerous interrelated barriers: social, political, physical, and economic, which challenge cultural beliefs about normality, competency, responsibility, and definitions of citizenship. He highlighted that the workshop represented a crucial step towards promoting inclusivity and equal participation in the electoral process for persons with disabilities.

The workshop was facilitated by Rindai Chipfunde Vava (Lead), Ellen Dingani, Emmaculeta Chiseya and Kundai Matenga Chingara. Topics covered included identifying Persons with Disabilities as a Stakeholder Group, The Impact of Myths and Stereotypes, Models of Disability and Language Rights, Interdependence of Rights, Principles of Disability Rights, Legislative Reform to Advance CRPD, Elections Overview, Equal Access Barriers & Strategies, Legal Capacity and Voting Restrictions, Emerging Global Advocacy to Challenge Restrictive Practices, Good Practice Case Studies on Election Access for People with Intellectual and/or Multiple Disabilities, Alternative Forms of Voting, Inclusive Hiring and Institutional Structures in the EMB and own organisations, Polling Place Accessibility Audits, Monitoring Elections for Disability and Gender Access, Design Your Own Voter Education Material, Creating a Strategic Reform Plan amongst other interactive activities.

The participants were an engaging and vibrant group who appreciated that this was the first time that a workshop for persons with disabilities, specific to capacitating them on electoral issues and processes, had been conducted in Zimbabwe. They also applauded the learning methodology, the rich content of the BRIDGE Curriculum and the interaction and sharing of experiences among the participants. They vowed to implement the strategies and recommendations from the workshop into their own programming.