As aligned with the project program, which targets skilling 5% persons with disabilities (PWDs), URDT Institute has engaged Leaders of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from the program’s implementing areas to participate in the mobilization, monitoring, mentoring, and support of young women with disabilities.
In Uganda, young women with disabilities face disproportionate barriers to education, employment, and economic opportunities. Women also experience disability at higher rates than men, with an estimated 14.3% to 15% of women living with disabilities.
URDT Institute, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is implementing the Sustainable Inclusive Youth Employment Pathways (SIYEP) program from 2025 to 2030. The program is being implemented through a consortium led by the Agency for Accelerated Regional Development (AFARD), together with seven other partners under the Young Africa Works Strategy.
According to Muwonge Alex, the Disability Inclusion Lead at URDT Institute, the program is targeting 50,000 young women aged 18–35, with a specific target of 5% young women with disabilities. The program seeks to equip them with soft and technical skills that will enable them to transition into dignified and fulfilling work by 2030, while linking them to existing government programs, financial opportunities, and markets.
URDT Institute has been engaging Leaders of Persons with Disabilities from 20 districts and four refugee settlements, equipping them with knowledge of the Visionary Approach and Two-Generations Approach. These approaches enable PWD leaders to identify barriers that may affect young women with disabilities and develop practical responses to promote their meaningful participation in the skilling program.
The engagements also aims to promote the practical application of these approaches in SIYEP mobilization, skills development, livelihood pathways, and family engagement.
Following the engagement, participants committed to taking a stronger role in mobilizing young women with disabilities to access skills development, employment, and livelihood opportunities under SIYEP. Their commitment is aimed at strengthening disability inclusion and ensuring that young women with disabilities are not left behind in the pursuit of decent work and sustainable livelihoods.
The workshops provided a platform for participants to openly discuss the barriers that continue to prevent many young women with disabilities from accessing skills training and economic opportunities, while identifying practical actions to address these challenges.
According to Racheal, the Female Councillor Representing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and Deputy Speaker of Mubende District Council, she committed to using WhatsApp groups, digital platforms, radio talk shows, community meetings, religious gatherings, and other community events to identify and encourage eligible young women to participate in the SIYEP program.
She further noted that they will work with youth leaders and peer networks to reach young women who may otherwise remain excluded from opportunities due to disability, poverty, distance, or negative community attitudes.
“We must go where young women are and use communication channels that they understand and trust. No young woman should miss an opportunity simply because she did not receive the information,” Racheal emphasized.
Participants called for greater choice and inclusion for young women with disabilities, emphasizing that they should be supported to pursue occupations that match their interests, abilities, talents, and aspirations rather than being restricted to trades traditionally considered suitable for women or persons with disabilities.
The workshop also called for a shift in how young women with disabilities are perceived from being viewed primarily as beneficiaries to being recognized as skilled workers, entrepreneurs, employers, and active contributors to household and community development.
Participants further stressed that accessibility must be central to the selection of artisans, agribusiness practitioners, and training centres. They noted that providing a skills-training opportunity is not enough if a young woman with a disability cannot safely and conveniently access the training facility.
