Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign has stressed that without immediate, radical and inclusive actions, and underrepresented voices of youth with disabilities not being heard, the UN goals for a sustainable future are bound to fail.
Ahead of the upcoming UN summit in September, Sightsavers has launched a campaign in Pakistan to call on the government to commit to disability-inclusive and specific accelerated actions for economic empowerment of youth with disabilities in line with the aims of the Summit of the Future.
MunazzaGillani, Director Pakistan and Middle East expressed her commitment to this and said, “I would like to emphasize the critical importance of advocating for the rights of youth with disabilities in the context of the upcoming UN Summit of the Future. This summit presents a unique opportunity to address the challenges faced by young people with disabilities and to ensure their full inclusion and participation in shaping the future. At Sightsavers, we believe that every individual, regardless of their abilities, deserves equal rights and opportunities to thrive and contribute to society”.
She urged all stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector, to prioritize the rights of youth with disabilities in their discussions and actions leading up to the UN Summit of the Future.
Sightsavers aims to enhance its initiatives for empowering youth with disabilities economically.
This involves advocating with governmental bodies to prioritize this issue at the highest levels, driving policy dialogues, and instigating policy reforms for greater inclusivity and support.
Sightsavers has initiated several projects for ensuring inclusion of youth with disabilities in the labour force. Sightsavers’ Futuremakersprogramme, as well as its well established platform like Pakistan Business Disability Network and Innovation Challenge Futuremakers work towards enhancing economic empowerment of youth with disabilities.
Sightsavers’ Equal World calls on UN member states to ensure a disability-inclusive future, and to contribute specific and actionable commitments on disability.
The campaign also calls for the member states to encourage the participation of young people with disabilities in national and global discussions on the Summit of the Future.
