Gazans mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities 3 December

Nisaa FM: - You might not know it, but 3 December has been named the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

All over the world this day is used to mark rights and challenges for disabled citizens. The day aims at promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

Gaza draws attention to the rights of people with disabilities

Dozens of Palestinians staged a rally in the Gaza Strip on Sunday 3 December 2017 to mark the day.

“We are here to draw attention to the rights and demands of people with disabilities in Gaza,” Amjad al-Shawa, chairman of the Palestinian Non-governmental Organizations Network, told participants. Participants, who gathered outside the cabinet premises in Gaza City, waved banners calling on the government to fulfill the needs of disabled people in the enclave.

“People with disabilities are the most vulnerable people in Gaza and are paying the heaviest price for the Israeli blockade on the strip,” al-Shawa said.

Facts and numbers

There is an estimated 113,000 people with disabilities in Gaza and the West Bank, according to 2011-figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. In the Gaza Strip alone the number is estimated to be 38,000, or 2.4% of the population. It is however believed, that the numbers could be underestimated due to the fact that many families fear social stigmatization and do not register family members as persons with a disability in civil-status records; thus many of them continue to live an invisible life, as if they do not exist, a situation that especially applies to girls and women.

Source: www.middleeastmonitor.com