An Evaluation of The Inadequacies of the Laws in addressing the Plight of the Disabled female in Employment
Date
2013-03-15
Authors
Koonja, Mwaanga Kasongola
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Abstract
The susceptibility of women with disabilities to discrimination is a global phenomenon, but how a society or culture understands and addresses this issue varies greatly. Women with disabilities in the developing world experience a triple discrimination. They are discriminated against because they are women, because they have disabilities and because they are from the developing world where they are more likely to be poor, where opportunities and accessibility for girls and women with disabilities are extremely restricted and where prejudice against this group is pervasive. This research therefore focuses on the laws in Zambia in an effort to determine whether or not they are adequate for this group of people particularly in the employment sector in addressing their many needs and if such laws offer sufficient protection for them. In so doing, the research looked at the history of discrimination against women and women with disabilities in employment. It also analyzed the current situation pertaining to access to employment, the nature and conditions that disabled women are subjected to. An analysis of the laws in Zambia in comparison to those of Uganda and Ethiopia was done in an effort to establish whether women with disabilities in Zambia are adequately catered for by the law with regards to employment. The research concluded that the laws in Zambia are inadequate to cater for women with disabilities particularly with regards to employment. It is therefore important to amend the existing legislation as well as enact new laws that are gender specific for women with disabilities with regards to employment. This will lead to a situation where this group of people will not be discriminated against. They will become independent, self reliant and will develop personally which in turn will lead to development of the nation as a whole.
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Disabled females - employment