UNAMA Holds Meetings in Bamyan on Rights and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced that it held meetings in Bamyan province to discuss the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities. According to the organization, around 30 participants, including local Taliban administration officials and representatives of civil society organizations, attended one of these workshops.

A UNAMA statement released on Thursday, May 14, said that participants discussed the main challenges facing persons with disabilities. The discussions highlighted widespread unemployment, limited access to essential services, exclusion from social participation, and low public awareness about the rights of this group.

UNAMA added that its regional office in Bamyan also conducted a similar workshop specifically for women with disabilities in the central zone of the country. This meeting focused on the compounded difficulties faced by women with disabilities, particularly under the current conditions following the Taliban’s takeover, which have further restricted their social participation and access to educational and work opportunities.

Participants in these programs called for greater and meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes to ensure that their needs and rights are not overlooked in policy-making and social programs.

UNAMA emphasized its support for the rights, inclusion, and effective participation of persons with disabilities in all sectors of Afghan society. This comes amid decades of conflict and crisis in Afghanistan, which have led to thousands of people living with disabilities. The lack of organized support programs and low public awareness continue to expose them to discrimination and marginalization.