Leave no one behind: an agenda for action to enhance the full capabilities of adolescents with disabilities in Ethiopia

Abstract

The government of Ethiopia has made multiple commitments aimed at supporting the rights of those with disabilities, beginning with the country’s 1995 Constitution, its 2010 ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and further strengthened by its 2018 commitments to inclusive education at the world’s first Disability Summit. However, much work remains to be done if the inclusive society envisioned by the 2012 National Plan of Action of Persons with Disabilities is to achieve its goals. This policy note summarises key findings from Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence’s (GAGE) baseline work with adolescents with disabilities in Ethiopia. Our mixed-methods research involved approximately 350 adolescents – with physical, visual, hearing or intellectual impairments – as well as their caregivers and service providers and policy actors. Importantly, our work draws attention to the multiple and intersecting capabilities that need to be supported for adolescents with disabilities in Ethiopia to reach their full potential, including education and learning, health and nutrition, and economic empowerment and social protection. This article is an output of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) programme