Commonwealth and Seychelles collaborate on disability rights capacity building |14 November 2023

Delegates and guests in a souvenir photograph

Three representatives from the Commonwealth Human Rights Unit are in Seychelles to conduct a four-day capacity-building session with various organisations. This is being done in collaboration with the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports.

Their first session yesterday was a multi-stakeholder dialogue on disability, held at the Eden Bleu hotel. Its main objectives were to provide a deeper understanding of disability and disability inclusion, introduce the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and identify areas in which disability inclusion can be strengthened in Seychelles.

When addressing the guests, Minister Marie-Celine Zialor’s main talking points highlighted that momentous day when Seychelles signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on March 30, 2007 and ratified same on October 2,^, 2009, reinforcing Seychelles’ dedication to inclusion and to protect the minority along the majority.

“The Constitution of the Seychelles, itself, contains provisions that directly address disability,” said the minister.

The constitution stipulates that the state recognises the right of the aged and the disabled to special protection and with a view to ensuring the effective exercise of this rights, undertakes to make reasonable provision for improving the quality of life and for the welfare and maintenance of the aged and disabled. It also talks about the promotion of programmes specifically aimed at achieving the greatest possible development of the disabled.

In her discourse, the minister cited a recent Functional Limitations Disability Study of the 2022 census undertaken by the National Bureau of Statistics, which indicates that approximately 4.24% of the population reported being ‘Persons with disability’. This group includes individuals who identify as having a disability, and acknowledge the presence of functional limitations that may impact their daily activities and quality of life.

A comprehensive assessment by the Commonwealth Secretariat Human Rights Unit in 2022 identified various ‘gaps and areas in which action can be undertaken which includes the review of legislation, capacity building of key stakeholders, promoting inclusion and strengthening data collection’.

“We have struggled in this area; to cater for the needs of persons with disability,” stated the minister.

Minister Zialor said she was not surprised at all by these findings and expressed that there was much to do in the area of improving quality of life of persons with disabilities.

“We need more dialogue, discussions, and projects and programmes to transform the Seychelles landscape for persons with disabilities.”

Head of the Human Rights Unit, Dr Shavana Haythornthwaite, contemplated on the fact that approximately 16% of the world’s population, which is equivalent to 1.3 billion people, experience some form of disability.

“Disabled people routinely encounter physical, communication, attitudinal and institutional barriers that hinder that meaningful participation in society on an equal basis with others,” she stated.

She gave an example of how people who suffer from disabilities are at an increased risk of violence and abuse. She proclaimed that they are also more likely to be denied their rights to education and face other sorts of discriminatory situations in the future.

“The Covid-19 impact has excavated these existing inequalities.”

While in Seychelles, the Commonwealth representatives will also conduct sessions for the Elderly and Disabled Division and some other civil societies.

Sunny Esparon

Photos by Joena Meme