Employment, Poverty, Disability and Gender: A Rights Approach for Women with Disabilities in India, Nepal and Bangladesh

Abstract

Introduction: This chapter presents a literature and document review to help fill a gap in knowledge, understanding and awareness of the socio-economic needs and interests of women with disabilities.

Main Body: From a critical disability theory perspective, we discuss how employment and poverty affect the empowerment and well-being of women with disabilities in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. We describe some of the systemic labour market, socio-cultural and individual barriers and opportunities to employment for women with various types of disabilities.

Discussion: Our discussion provides an overview of grassroots initiatives that address the barriers and opportunities to promote the economic well-being of women and men with disabilities in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Implications: We conclude with recommendations to improve the employment outcomes for women with disabilities as a social determinant of health. We argue that access to paid employment as a human right, as outlined in the UNCRPD, has specific relevance for women with disabilities. Further, if we are to consider “mental health” from the perspective of women with disabilities, we must simultaneously attend to discrimination against women with psycho-social disabilities (who may or may not be otherwise disabled) and to distress related to a greater likelihood of experiencing social exclusion, violence, oppression, and economic insecurity. In aligning with the theme of the book, we highlight the strengths and abilities of women with disabilities. The chapter aims to help raise awareness of the multidimensional aspects of the many benefits and challenges of employment for women with disabilities and to highlight potential opportunities for transformative change.

Appendices

Response #1

• Kuhu Das 

1. Association for Women with Disabilities,, West Bengal, India

   Kuhu Das

Women with disabilities are the most marginalized group of women in Indian society. They face multiple discriminations, are deprived of all political, social and economic opportunities and continue to be left out of decision-making processes. Women with disabilities are subjected to high rates of domestic, psychological, physical, sexual violence and abuse but mostly are not reported due to multiple reasons.

The following statements clearly reflects that women with disabilities face discrimination due to gender and disability which severely affects their economic life leading to poverty:

The majority of women with disabilities in India suffer the triple discrimination of being female, being disabled and being poor. A quarter of all women with disabilities seldom manage three meals a day. (World Bank, 2007, p. 14)

… Indeed not only are they a socially invisible category but their plight is worse than both men with disabilities and other non-disabled women. Being powerless, isolated and anonymous, women with disabilities are extremely vulnerable to abuse and violence. (Government of India, 2006, p. 92)

Disabled woman, in India, working full time earns only 56 per cent of the salary of a full-time employed disabled man. In fact, disabled women earn the lowest wages compared to disabled men or non-disabled women. (Rao, n.d., p. 3)

The World Report on Disability (2011) enumerates the employment rates of women with disabilities is only 20.1 % in low income countries and 19.6 % for all (high and low income) countries. In comparison, the employment rate for men with disabilities in low income countries is 58.6 %.

Myths and misconceptions about men and women with disabilities and their potential and/or ability to work are deeply rooted into the mindset of people due to stereotypes and cultural practices over centuries. Women with disabilities are caught in a vicious cycle of gender, disability and discrimination leading to unemployment/lack of income generation opportunities and thus leading to dependency and poverty.

Lack of equal opportunity for education and training creates a big gap that a woman with a disability needs to compete for her employability in both the organized and unorganized labour market. On the one hand, the social stigma and negative attitude of the society reduce the scope of work or employment opportunities for a decent livelihood. On the other hand, low education, lack of skill, lack of support services such as aids and assistive devices to enhance mobility or reduce hearing or visual impairments and lack of exposure create lack of self-confidence and courage to fight back discrimination. This leads to mostly confinement at home or rehabilitation centres and dependence on others even for daily needs. In due course, poverty becomes inevitably a part of life of most of women with disabilities and overcoming it becomes impossible for them.

Response #2

• Soumya Vinayan 

1. Council for Social Development, Southern Regional Centre,, Hyderabad, India

   Soumya Vinayan

Through the lens of critical disability studies these authors have clearly brought out the multiple barriers women with disabilities face in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. These barriers range across socio-political-cultural and economic realms and deeply hamper the rights of women with disabilities. The authors have captured these realities through review of literature.

The main aim of these comments are to throw light on certain arguments which I find relevant to the discussion on employment for people with disabilities especially women. First, I would like to bring to notice the argument of Kannabiran (2013) in her work on conceptualizing “ability” in the context of labour. She contests the premise of associating employment with “able-bodied” which completely marginalizes the disabled. People with disabilities form part of non-working adults who then are at the receiving end of welfare programmes. This non-recognition of “ability” to work is the root cause of the vicious circle of poverty, discrimination and oppression suffered by people with disabilities in general and women in particular. As per the 2001 India Census, of the total disabled, only 22 % were categorized as workers. In the case of women workers, the proportion of working women with disabilities fell sharply to 13 % in contrast to 28 % in the case of men with disabilities. Thus, a larger portion of people with disabilities are categorized as non-workers, and within the working population, the share of women is marginal.

Notwithstanding these statistics, there are many initiatives which have finally recognized the entitlements of people with disabilities as workers. For example, Self Help Groups (SHGs) are exclusively made up of people with disabilities in the rural and urban areas under the flagship programmes of Government of Andhra Pradesh, a federal state in Southern India.² These initiatives promote the inclusive development of persons with disabilities by enhancing their livelihood, functioning and integration with the community. Similarly, the Government of Andhra Pradesh recognized the inclusion of people with disabilities within the Andhra Pradesh Employment Guarantee Scheme through a notification in 2006 (Kannabiran, 2013). There are several clauses within the series of government orders which reflect the contested contours of gender and disability (such as allotment of care giving and service responsibilities to disabled women). The recognition of “vikalangula kooli” deserves appreciation, and the formation of disabled worker’s collectives across every district and mandal of the state is monitored by a network of community-based organizations which mediates between the workers and the government is pointed out in the study. These arguments and initiatives, in my opinion, would give new focus in entitling people with disabilities as workers in the realm of disability studies.