Civil20’s (C20) Disability, Equity, Justice Working Group recently hosted an International Conference in New Delhi, India, to amplify the voices of persons with disabilities. Over 500 people attended the conference in person or online, including disabled experts from nine countries in-person and 15 countries online. Disability, Equity, Justice is one of the 15 working groups within C20, which is an official engagement group of G20. This marked the first time a stand-alone working group was created to respond to the needs of the 1.3 billion people with disabilities around the world. The working group was led by Ms. Nidhi Ashok Goyal, a woman with disabilities herself and a champion of disability rights globally. Its objective was to develop a policy brief that is representative of persons with disabilities and inclusive of diverse issues relating to women and persons with disabilities, through a consultative process.
The C20 is a global platform that unites civil society organisations from different countries and sectors to promote its vision of an equitable, just, and sustainable world. It seeks to influence the G20 to adopt policy recommendations that contribute to the achievement of these goals.
Ms. Nidhi Ashok Goyal, a woman with disabilities herself, played a central role in the conference and is the Founder and Executive Director of Rising Flame, an organisation working towards empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities in India.
Steps:
1. Understand the importance of the Disability, Equity, Justice Working Group to amplify the voices of persons with disabilities globally.
2. Attend conferences or consultations organised by the working group to learn more about disability rights and the issues faced by persons with disabilities.
3. Advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in sustainable development, economic opportunities, and policy-making processes.
4. Promote accessibility and inclusive practices in your community and workplace for persons with disabilities.
5. Promote the inclusion of diverse issues relating to women and persons with disabilities in policy discussions to ensure the specific needs of these groups are met.
