Eliminate Stigma and Discrimination

Stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours
All above-suggested categories (Policy, legislation and its implementation; Representation and Empowerment of persons with disabilities; Stereotypes and attitudes, behaviours; and data collection) are linked to the Organization’s commitments in the area of disabilities. 

A special attention will be placed on development of partnerships and collaborative work between national institutions, disabled peoples’ organizations and media actors to promote and facilitate reduction of stigma and discrimination. Capacities of actors to engage in a sustainable and constructive dialogue, and to conduct strategic awareness-raising campaigns will be enhanced.

Ongoing projects as a part of the UN Joint Partnership project on advancing the rights of women and girls with disabilities will help to fill in the knowledge gaps on the aspirations, concerns and priorities of women and girls with disabilities, as well as understanding existing harmful cultural norms and practices.

Knowledge produced will be used to further develop evidence-based initiatives seeking to promote practices which could “shift the perception” of societies towards persons with disabilities. The capacity building will include work with Justice and Sexual and Reproductive Health Service providers in mainstreaming gender-sensitive and disability-friendly approaches that incorporate the varied disability categories.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan
Within the framework of UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy 2021, the Organization will implement its commitments in the following manner:

1. Production of evidence-based studies on beliefs and attitudes;
2. Production of targeted campaigns and dissemination of key gender-sensitive messages in cooperation with non-governmental organizations representing persons with disabilities, policy and decision makers, officials, health and educational professionals and the media.
3. Building capacities of network of journalists in reporting on issues concerning disabilities, with a special focus on women and girls with disabilities, as well as of local authorities to mainstream human rights-based approaches and disability considerations and assessment tools in their planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation policies and actions plans.
4. Elaboration of national policy documents on mainstreaming a human right based perception of persons with disabilities.
5. Collaboration with other UN-system organizations on the implementation of UN Joint Partnership projects, in particular in African countries.