News

Bangladesh: Disability and social protection workshop for organizations of persons with disabilities delivered by ILO and IDA 24-26 Feb 2023

ILO Geneva SOCPRO have been collaborating with the International Disability Alliance (IDA) in the context of the UNPRPD financed programme on Disability-inclusive social protection. IDA organized a national BRIDGE training back to back with a workshop on Social Protection and Disability in Bangladesh to the organization of the persons with disabilities (OPDs). OPDs leaders came to join the sessions from across all regions, representing variety types of disabilities from Bangladesh.

During the social protection three-days workshop, ILO and IDA aimed to build a common understanding of what inclusive social protection means for persons with disabilities and to learn more about regional initiatives and needs around this issue, towards building the capacity of OPDs to advocate for social protection for persons with disabilities that aim to promote the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society.

The sessions covered the following:

• Mapping social protection programmes at national level
• Rationale for social protection for persons with disabilities
• Understanding the core function of social protection (Basic income security, Disability related costs, Coverage of healthcare, Facilitate access to education and economic empowerment)
• Understanding Life Cycle Approach to Social Protection
• Eligibility criteria
• Information sharing by UN agencies regarding activities on social protection and disabilities

Participants particularly valued the dedicated session on improving non-contributory disability benefits in the specific context of Bangladesh. Through comparing global benchmarks, regional similarities with other countries of similar economic levels and Bangladesh, participants found the session most interesting for understanding how to improve in Bangladesh. For example, Bangaldesh provides disability benefits of 800 Taka (approximately 8 USD), and OPDs obtained valuable information and data to argue for increasing its adequacy by comparing the benefit levels with international standards. The methodology of the workshop was very practice-oriented and used group work exercises, e.g. for OPDs to understand the extra costs of disability in Bangladesh. As a next step and follow-up to the workshop, it is planned that the national level leaders from OPDs who attended the session, will speak with the government.