Link and learn: inclusion of women with disabilities in the ILO WEDGE Programme: progress assessment in four African countries

The progress assessment was undertaken as part of the Irish Aid/ILO programme 'Developing Entrepreneurship among Women with Disabilities' (DEWD), now in its second phase (2005-2007). DEWD aims to facilitate the access of women entrepreneurs with disabilities to mainstream women's entrepreneurship development (WED) activities in five Sub-Saharan African countries - Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. It does this through close cooperation with another Ireland-funded ILO project, 'Promoting Women's Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality' (WEDGE), which works on enhancing economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs in general. Effectively, the main focus of Phase 2 of DEWD is to support the participation of women with disabilities in as many WEDGE activities as possible. In November-December 2006, the progress assessment was undertaken in four of the countries - Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia - in order to review the effectiveness of the process of including women entrepreneurs with disabilities in mainstream WEDGE activities. WEDGE tools, materials and reports were reviewed as part of the progress assessment process. The progress assessment aimed to canvass the opinions of organizations and individual women entrepreneurs, both disabled and non-disabled, identifying: strengths, for replication and enhancement; weaknesses, for resolution; and possible improvements so as to ensure the strengthening of the programme and the best possible outcomes in its final year. In summary, to date the DEWD/WEDGE project has reaped many benefits for disabled and non-disabled women entrepreneurs alike. In addition, in the context of the ILO, it has tested an innovative approach to disability mainstreaming, and has demonstrated the benefits of close cooperation between two ILO departments.

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