The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission in Fiji has initiated a pivotal baseline study dedicated to assessing the rights and needs of children with disabilities across the country. This extensive research, set to last a year, will particularly seek to understand the obstacles these children encounter regarding education, healthcare, and essential services.
Commissioner Veena Singh underlined the necessity of gathering accurate data to inform decision-making. A troubling statistic highlights that children with disabilities are three times more likely to have never attended school than their counterparts. Despite Fiji’s recent efforts to align its policies with international standards—such as the enactment of the 2018 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and the establishment of the National Council of People with Disabilities—there remain gaps in understanding the real-life implications of these policies for disabled children.
The anticipated outcomes of this study are expected to play a crucial role in guiding future policy development, aiming to ensure that children with disabilities have equal opportunities in education and healthcare. Pravesh Sharma, the chairperson of the Commission, outlined its broader mandates, which encompass human rights advocacy, legislative evaluations, and addressing complaints regarding human rights infringements.
This commendable initiative represents a hopeful stride toward inclusivity, as it seeks not only to uncover the challenges that children with disabilities in Fiji face but also to highlight success stories that can drive positive societal change and dismantle existing stigmas. As the study moves forward, there is optimism that it will yield valuable insights and actionable strategies, fostering equal access to education and essential services for disabled children and contributing to a fairer society for all.
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