By Timothy Egwelu
Every year on August 12, young persons with disability in Uganda join the rest of the world to commemorate the International youth day.
This year, the theme “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World” is important because fostering young people’s environmental awareness is essential for addressing the global climate crisis and puts Uganda on the path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which hinge at “leave no one behind“.
In particular, SDG target 8.5 states that “by 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value” and recognizes that sustainable development is only possible with the active engagement of the working world towards it.
The process of acquiring information, training, and certifications that are expressly targeted at meeting the needs of a sustainable and environmentally friendly economy is known as “green skilling,” sometimes known as “green skills development” or “green education.” Sustainable agriculture, forestry, green construction, infrastructure waste management, and recycling are among the green jobs that result from green skilling.
By streamlining green skilling and employment, we can solve the unique difficulties faced by young people with disabilities and promote their participation in this growing sector. We can remove obstacles and create possibilities for young people with disabilities to flourish in the developing green economy by developing an inclusive green skills framework.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the green transition will create 8.4 million jobs for young people by 2030. Therefore it is paramount that we promote inclusion in the development of green skills among young persons with disabilities for both youth employment and sustainable development.
One of the key objectives of the Uganda National Youth Policy is to support young persons with disabilities by advocating for their active participation in relevant development programs. Being a signatory to the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), Uganda should acknowledge that Article 27 of the CRPD guarantees people with disabilities the opportunity to earn a living through work that is freely chosen or accepted in an environment that is open, inclusive, and accessible.
The prevalence of disability among people aged 2 and older was 12.4%, or 6,466,798 people, according to the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UBOS, 2016). In order to facilitate skills development in green jobs it is imperative to build the capacity of youth with disability through their organisations by availing resources and training programs that cater to the specific needs and abilities of young persons with disabilities. This can include accessible training materials virtual learning platforms and adaptive technologies to accommodate access to mainstream technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Moreover, recognizing the value of inclusive employment, governments and organisations should consider providing subsidies and incentives to employers who hire young persons with disabilities in the green sector. Financial support in form of tax subsidiaries can help offset the cost of workforce adaptations, accommodations, social protection and assistive technologies that might be needed. By making it economically feasible for employers to engage in inclusive hiring practices we can encourage the participation of young persons with disabilities in the green economy.
The establishment of the Uganda National Youth Policy of 2016 makes it significantly easier to promote inclusion within the green economy. The Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development should give top priority to addressing the inclusion of young people with disabilities in the workforce. These rules should all contain anti-discrimination laws, reasonable accommodation provisions, and professional support services. Green jobs should be supported by mainstreaming the National Special Grant.
Additionally, forming alliances with Organisations of Young persons with disability helps guarantee the successful design and implementation of laws that are tailored to the special requirements of children with disabilities.
Young persons with disabilities must also be enabled to actively participate in and benefit from the green economy through supporting skills development, giving apprenticeships and financial aid, and incorporating inclusive legislation.
Until then will we truly embrace diversity and create a sustainable future that leaves no one behind.
Timothy Egwelu is a lawyer and Disability policy and inclusion Consultant.
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