GENDER VULNERABILITY & VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS AND POVERTY

Vulnerability is a state of persistent deprivation based on poverty and denial of other basic rights and entitlement leading to the exclusion of certain groups from active participation in economic, political and social life.

Social exclusion refers to people who are persistently deprived of their socio-economic rights. They are eventually excluded from the mainstream of activities of decision-making process and inability to compete.

The support for disability and the care for PWDs as productive citizens is an important aspect of national human resources development agenda. Among the issues for urgent attention are the high incidences of poverty among PWDs due to very low levels/lack of formal education; inaccessible public trans port for PWDs; inadequate and unfriendly walk ways for PWDs as pedestrians; inaccessible and unfriendly environmental conditions, water and sanitation facilities such as uncovered drains/gutters; inadequate appropriate software for PWDs; inadequate research on disability issues; and inappropriate agricultural extension services for PWDs.

People with Disabilities, the Aged, Widows, Orphans, Women and Children make up the Vulnerable and Excluded in Society. People in this category of society have an organized front in the District.

There is no comprehensive database on their number or activities. There are some government flagship and special initiatives focused on alleviating poverty and challenges faced by the vulnerably.

The District has more vulnerable families who need to be enrolled on social protection programmes such as LEAP. The social protection programs include; LEAP, School Feeding and disability fund.

The support for disability and the care of PWDs as Productive Citizens is an important aspect Of National Human Resources Development Agenda. Among the issues for urgent attention are the high incidences of poverty among PWDs. Inaccessibly walkways etc.

Their unfortunate circumstances are often viewed as a curse or punishment. Furthermore, according to the summary World Report on Disability (World Health Organization 2011), persons with disability have poorer health status, lower education achievement, less economic participation and higher proportion of poverty than people without disabilities.

About 6.5 percent of the district’s total population have one form of disability or the other. The proportion of the female population with disability is slightly higher (6.9%) than males (6.2%).

The types of disability in the district include sight, hearing, speech, physical, intellect, and emotion. Persons with sight disability recorded the highest of 62.1 percent followed by physical disability (39.5).

In terms of disability by sex, not much difference is observed even though disabled males (2.2%) are more than the females (1.8%).

There are slightly more persons with disability in the rural areas (2.1%), compared to urban areas (2.0%). Among persons with disability, the most common form of disability is sight (62.1%) followed by physical disability (38.4%) and emotional disability (34.5%).

The proportion of females with sight disability (62.9%) is marginally higher than males (61.1%) whiles the proportion of males with emotional disability (35.8%) is slightly higher than females (33.5%). These high figures for emotional disability could be attributed to the existence of special school for the physically and intellectuallychallenged in the district.

There is not much variation in the prevalence of disability by locality within the district. PWDs account for 6.9 percent and 6.5 percent of urban and rural populations respectively in the district. Further the proportion of females (urban 7.4%, rural 6.8%) with disability exceeds that of males (6.2%, 6.2%). 66.1 percent of persons with disability are economically active while 33.9 percent of the same population are economically not active. Out of the economically active PWD population, about 98 percent are employed whilst 2.5 percent are unemployed.

The proportion of males with disability who are economically active (66.7%) is higher than that of females (65.6%). Similarly, for females with disability the proportion who are economically not active (34.4%), is higher than that of males (33.3%).

The disability type that has the highest proportion of economically active population is those with hearing disability (72.8%) whilst those with physical disability had the least proportion of economically active population (63.2%). However, those with hearing disability have one of the highest unemployment rates (4.1%), coming second after those with speech disability.

The pattern is repeated among both males and females except in the area of unemployment where male rates are far higher than females. For example, the unemployment rate among the male persons with disabilities is 3.3 percent compared with 2.1 percent for their female counterparts. While 6.3 percent of male persons with speech disability were unemployed, only 3.7 percent of their female counterparts are unemployed.

40.6 percent of the people with disability in the district have never been to school, while 59.4 percent of them have. About 73 percent of males have been to school while 26.8 percent have not.

 Slightly more         
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        females with disability have never attended school than those who have, while 48.7 percent of females have ever been to school, 51.3 percent have not. 46.7 percent of persons with disability have attended school up to basic level, whiles 40.6 percent have never attended School. About nine and a little above four percent of people with disability have attained education up to /SHS/Higher and Pre-School respectively. Four persons with disability have attended school up to SSS/Sec and higher.

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerable in the society are those generally considered to be susceptible to the consequences of hazard once it has occurred. E.g. when you cannot afford medical care to help you regain your health you are considered to be vulnerable. Both genders can therefore be classified as vulnerable but the mostvulnerable and marginalised in our society are women and children.

From the population distribution of sexes in the District, it can be seen that women and children are the most populous gender and activities from the Assembly should be geared towards empowering these groups especially women who are classified to be vulnerable. Women and children are easily the most abused groups of the population. The presence of DOVSU and the Police even does not deter them frombeing emotionally and physically abused. However, the children’s ACT 560 1998, this ACT is there to protect the rights of children.

According to the estimated population of the District for 2020, children aged between 0-4 years accounts for 13.9% of the total population of the District. Those aged 5-9 years represents 12.3% while those These classifications are important because each have different needs which must be addressed differen                                                                                                                                                      ly. There is the need to get these children in school at the right school going age and get them out of the streets where need be.

Children in these groups are susceptible to certain pressures from society thus extra care and attention should be given to their needs. Education data reports that although there has been an increase in enrollment in our public schools, children are not going to school at the right ages.

Those involved in farming activities are more drawn to education. Programmes should be encouraged to get these children to school and to help with their emotional and mental needs. Enforcing existing Laws Protecting Women’s rights Despite the many efforts to incorporate an effective women’s rights policy in all spheres of political life, the prevalence and practice of many outmoded customs detrimental to these efforts still abound.

There is still inadequate support for victims of violence. Interventions to address these include: review and strengthen on-going awareness campaign on existing laws and practices; enhance capacity of appropriate enforcement and related agencies; expand coverage of the institutions dealing with women’s rights; and enhance the implementation of the Domestic Violence law and institute deterrent sanctions for perpetrators.

Strategies in addressing vulnerability issues in the District

 Encouraging artisans and other tradesmen and women including farmers to form District, Regional and National Associations.

Facilitate Institutional Strengthening, Capacity Building for public educational institutions to mount consistent countrywide sensitization on harmful customary practices (NCCE, DSW, etc.).

Reducing chronic poverty and its associated issues of vulnerability and exclusion; promoting the political empowerment of women through decision-making at the household, community and in public life; access to rights and entitlements, and management of self-imposed risks.

Extending the coverage of existing social protection programmes to vulnerable women and create new ones; mainstream special women’s social protection policies and programmes in the National Development Process; adopting and implementing information dissemination through partnerships with NGOs, CSOs and CBOs.

Ensuring women’s access, participation and benefits in all labour-related issues (employment, training, social security for both formal and informal sectors, promoting women’s business, credit, etc.).

Expanding special employment schemes for the youth, women and PWDs; and ensuring constant communication and information dissemination of Government policies on gender equality and women empowerment.

Promoting the economic empowerment of women through access to land, labour, credit, markets, Information, technology, business services and networks, and social protection including Propertyrights.

Promoting the social empowerment of women and children through access to education (Especially secondary, vocational/ technical and tertiary education; non-formal education, opportunities for continuing education for school drop-outs; and scholarships), creating access to health/reproductive  health services and rights, legal aid, social safety nets, social networks.

Adoption of affirmative action policy/law to increase participation of women in governance, leadership and decision-making with the target of attaining a minimum of 40% women representation in political and public service appointments.