Disability Data Partnership with UNFPA Asia and the Pacific

News-iag, Project | March 24, 2023

Since 2021, the CBM Global Inclusion Advisory Group has been working with UNFPA Asia and the Pacific to strengthen disability data in the Asia-Pacific region.

Through annual workplans, the partnership aims to build resources, awareness, and capacity around disability data with UNFPA Asia and the Pacific and other key stakeholders, including Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and National Statistics Offices.

Background

The UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Region has seen varied engagement, investment and approaches around disability data and related advocacy and investment. Understanding how and why disability data has been included in census and large-scale household surveys across the region, and building awareness and capacity around recommended disability data approaches is critical to help develop and shape investments in evidence-based policies and programmes.

OPDs must play a meaningful role in disability data collection, analysis and use. There is a need to strengthen the capacity of OPDs in understanding and using disability data to support their engagement.

The project is implemented in partnership with regional OPDs including the ASEAN Disability Forum and Pacific Disability Forum, in close collaboration with national OPDs, the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities and the International Disability Alliance.

Partnership focus and sample of activities

The partnership has broadly addressed two key areas, using a range of different activities:

1. Raising awareness and capacity on disability data with UNFPA and their partners:

- - Technical webinars and resources with UNFPA staff and partners
  - Mapping disability data in development in Asia and the Pacific
  - On call technical assistance to UNFPA teams throughout the region.

2. Developing capacity of the disability movement on disability data and supporting their engagement in relevant regional dialogues and advice:

- Developed and supporting some local use of the Disability Data Advocacy workshop for OPDs.
- Supported two representatives from the region to participate as data-focused fellows in the ACE programme. This programme is designed to support representatives from the disability movement to provide technical advice to mainstream development partners.
- Quick reference guides to support OPD engagement in disability data and data advocacy, including a brief explainer on the Washington Group Questions on Disability and Questions to aid understanding of disability data and inform advocacy.

For more information

Please see our data page for more information about CBM Global’s work on disability data, including our partnership with UNFPA Asia and the Pacific, and the related resources.

If you would like to know more about this project, please contact Kirsty.Thompson@cbm-global.org

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