Maghreb conference tackles disabled women's issues
2009-03-12
Disabled women often endure both physical handicaps and discrimination. A ground-breaking forum in Tripoli tackled this issue and tried to find appropriate solutions.
By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tripoli – 12/03/09
 [Jamel Arfaoui] Maghreb experts gather in Tripoli, Libya, to discuss issues faced by women with disabilities. |
In the first conference of its kind in the Maghreb, human rights activists and NGO members recently gathered in Libya to launch an action plan to help disabled women reintegrate into society without discrimination or obstacles.
The Libyan Waatasemu Charity Association, in cooperation with General League of Disabled People in Libya, organised the three-day conference in Tripoli on Friday (March 6th) to discuss the challenges facing women with disabilities and the day-to-day life disabled women lead.
"The rise of unemployment rates, low salaries, difficulty of accessing medical care, scarcity of education opportunities, lack of services and programmes targeting disabled women, and rising danger of exposure to different forms of physical, psychological and sexual violations, are all challenges that disabled Maghreb women have to face," said Bassam Aisha, a Libyan expert in humanitarian issues.
Aisha said that the conference accurately diagnosed these issues, and participants managed to come up with suggestions to end the negative consequences.
The new action plan, dubbed the "Tripoli Work Approach", encourages society to respect and preserve the human dignity of disabled Maghreb women, to respect their freedom and right to self-determination. It also calls for respecting their particularities and individual independence.
The plan also advocates women's rights to protection against all forms of discrimination and to full and effective participation in society.
Aisha Kadhafi, daughter of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi and Secretary-General of the Waatasemu Association, announced a programme aimed at putting an end to violence against women in Libya.
The plan, she said, consists of three parts: firstly, the creation of a phone number (15-15), which Libyan women can call to report violations; secondly, the creation of a unit of Libyan policewomen; and lastly, the building of a club and cultural complex dedicated to Libyan women.
The conference also featured several workshops that allowed Maghreb women to highlight their experiences and exchange ideas.
"These are experiences with different levels of success, especially as there are Maghreb countries that are advanced in this field," said Aisha Zinay, an Algerian expert in women's rights issues. "We can benefit from the experiences of supervisors of different disabilities programmes."
Wided Tounzi, a Moroccan woman suffering from a hearing disability, gave her opinion of the conference.
"I was able to present a positive image of women with disabilities," she said. "I explained to participants that with strong will and seriousness, we can overcome our disabilities."
Magharebia learned from Libyan official sources that another meeting will be held in Tripoli in three months for Maghreb experts. The meeting will approve the recommendations of the previous meeting and task Waatasimu Charity Association and the General League of Disabled People in Libya to lay down an executive plan and mechanisms for monitoring and follow-up.
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عبدالمنعم فوزي Posted 2009-05-19
Wake up. Are we really the best nation which came to the people? This question can be criticized by some and can provoke others. However, with the spread of violence, cruelty and backwardness among us, this question has become logical and important. The cause is that we are people for whom cruelty has become part of their personality, nature and daily life. Now they exercise it daily without feeling this cruelty inside them or even acknowledging it. The problem is that most of these people have power among us. We only have to abide by their oppressive orders unjust against us just from fear of using these powers and prerogatives conferred upon them against us just because we don't agree with them or oppose them. The problem is also because when complaining about the cruelty of others against us, we are cruel to others as well especially those who are close not just by using abusive words and inappropriate acts, but by continuously misunderstanding them, doubting them in their words and acts. We have become busy criticizing, abusing and doubting each other and others. During my studies in the United States of America about how to prepare leaders to manage a paper to make profit and success as well as presenting a sublime and distinguished press, I was impressed, shaken and hoped to see it implemented in our country; not just what I practiced and studied but also what I noticed when I was riding a public transport in the state of Pennsylvania. The driver stood in front of one of the stations, opened the front door and pressed a button and pushed a lever downward. Then he stood up quickly to the front seat, raised it, return to his seat in front of the steering-wheel. Then we saw a man in an electric wheelchair. He easily and quickly found a place available for him without feeling any disturbance or difficulty, without feeling he was a burden on everyone. None of the passengers turned to see this given it was ordinary and natural. My eyes were filled up with tears on our situation when he rode off the bus. He was going to cross to the other side of the street, the driver made a sign to coming cars with his hand then they stopped immediately. The handicapped went on like a crowned king. Everyone is assisting with spontaneity and tolerance. This is what I saw from ordinary individuals of the American people. There is no sign showing that front seats are for elderly people.
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