Partnership for the Future .. 10 Municipalities committed to active inclusion of PWDs

Employment, Accessibility, and Building’ licensing policies

The municipalities in Gaza Strip are soon witnessing a notable change on the level of their policies as 10 of them have signed commitment charters. The municipalities are committed to develop their internal policies and the procedures of service buildings licensing, as well to make its facilities accessible and to ensure active inclusion of persons with disabilities in employment process.

The municipalities that have signed are the following “Rafah, Deir-Albalah, Khan Younus, Abasan, Beit Hanoun, AL-Maghazi, Al-shouka, Al-Nusierat, and Al-Zawayda”

Signing the commitment is done within the advocacy campaign launched last April by the local committee which is formed by SDF in partnership with 18 local organization within the activities of “Partnership for the Future” Project that funded by HR and IHL Secretary.

Ministry of local government has interacted with the campaign’s activities through issuing two important circulars regarding facilitating the accessibility of people with disabilities at the end of August and current of September. The first one is about appealing the municipalities to carry out special paths, parking, and corniche for people with disabilities. The second is related to local entities to count the service building related to municipalities in the Gaza Strip, and assess their needs regarding its accessibility so that changes can be implemented.

Rights and Laws

The advocacy campaign on right to work and right of accessibility of PWDs is designed according to international and national laws and conventions, notably law no. (4) 1999 on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its executive regulations, in addition to the executive regulations of the ministry of Local Government, Labor Law, the Palestinian Basic Law, international convention for the rights of persons with disabilities, and the bill of Human Rights as a springboard for the lobbying and advocacy activities in order to improve access to services and facilities, and to effectively include people with disabilities in civil and private organizations.

SDF is looking forward through the advocacy campaign at developing commitment charters with civic organizations and local entities, stemming out of their commitment to the Palestinian law and their respect to Human Rights, which establishes a new phase of follow-up and community monitoring. The committee has visited more than 150 civic organizations and municipalities in this framework.

In the same context, the committee has signed commitment charters with 20 civic organizations that state on effectively including people with disabilities in work and facilitating their access to building and services. A number of associations have amended their administrative systems such as “The Palestinian Centre of Democracy and Conflict Resolution” and” Tamer Institution for Community Education” who took practical steps regarding hiring persons with disabilities and including them within their staff.

SDF is seeking through the activities of the project “Partnership for the Future” at improving the interaction of the local community and its components concerning the rights of persons with disabilities and at effectively including them in the process of advocating their own rights as active members of society.