Interview: our work in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is the world's 6th poorest country. More than 80% of people depend on agriculture, but crops and produce are vulnerable to droughts and poor soil. Only one river flows throughout the year, and rainfall levels are decreasing.

As a result, rural people are moving to towns and cities to search for work. This migration to urban areas is seeing the growth of unplanned slums which lack basic water and sanitation services.

Women and disabled people are some of the most excluded people in society – they are routinely denied access to basic services and opportunities.

Eléonore Couldiaty – our Field Director in Burkina Faso – talks about how International Service is supporting organisations and people in local communities to address the challenges that still need to be overcome in the fight for equal rights.

Tell us more about the inequalities faced by women and disabled people in Burkina Faso

"Women make up 52% of the population, yet they are severely under-represented in political life.  Despite the government’s efforts to provide free education, illiteracy is very high – only around 6% of women can read and write.  Access to education for women and girls is often restricted due to social, cultural and financial reasons.
In rural areas, women devote three quarters of their time to agriculture but their access to good quality land is limited.  Many women in the towns run small businesses, but the benefits are too small to satisfy even basic needs.

The position of women in Burkina Faso remains precarious, and the authorities are aware of this. In July 2009, the National Policy on gender was adopted.  The government is also supporting women by giving them small loans in order to support income-generating activities.  When the women receive the money they are confident and really want to do something with it.  However, extreme poverty means other priorities (like feeding their children) take over and they cannot use the money for business activities. Often they are unable to reimburse the money.

The recent census taken by the National Institute of Statistics and Demography identified that 168,000 of Burkina's 14 million people have some kind of physical, sensory, visual or mental disability.
Given that the United Nations estimates 10% of the world’s population has a disability, it’s highly unlikely that this figure represents the real situation. 

The majority of disabled people live in the poorest conditions. Families with a disabled member don’t have the means to pay for treatment, rehabilitation, or education. Facilities and services are limited, and prejudices about disability prevent disabled people and their families from accessing employment and finance.

A small minority of disabled people work by making arts and crafts, sewing, gardening, hairdressing, or selling vegetables.  In most cases, private sector employers are not aware of disabled people’s needs, and disabled people occupy only a very small place in the public sector.

There have been some initiatives designed to improve conditions for disabled people, but they’ve not had a significant impact. The government gives the impression that it’s committed to helping disabled people but, apart from the Ministry for Social Action and National Solidarity (which is responsible for disabled people) their interests are not really taken into account."

Tell us more about what International Service is doing to overcome inequality and help secure equal rights for all

"We have developed strategies around disability and gender so that our work meets the needs of women and disabled people. 
We have placed volunteer Development Workers with women’s organisations to support them in strengthening their management capabilities.  Together we have developed projects that aim to increase women’s literacy levels, provide training on human rights, and provide resources for income-generating activities.

Our approach is to use literacy as a way of achieving social change; we create a space in communities where participants - mostly women - can discuss the important issues of their community, analyse their needs and problems, and find the best possible solutions for their lives.

We also have a project designed to strengthen seven grassroots disabled people’s organisations so that they can function more effectively.  Six volunteer Development Workers are supporting those organisations on a daily basis in areas such as project planning, management, and knowledge-sharing. 

The project helps the members of Disabled People’s Organisations to better understand, exercise and defend their rights, and influence governmental bodies."

Is it working? What differences have you seen in the past few years?

"Yes absolutely! We notice that women are more confident.
They are involved in the work of women’s organisations, they know their rights, and they know how to claim their rights in cases of abuse. Men are also beginning to understand that women have a place in development.

Our 3-year disability project has been innovative in its approach and its potential for learning.  Disabled people’s organisations are growing, and they’re able to make a positive difference in society at both local and national levels.  The project’s activities – such as training, and developing income-generating activities - are having an empowering effect on disabled people.

A willingness to change has been a key element."

What are the next steps for International Service’s work?

"We plan to reinforce our team by recruiting ‘Organisational Development Teams.’  These are small teams of specialists who will work with lots of our partners to build close relationships, and strengthen and develop their organisations.
We also aim to work closely with the government structures in order to better influence policies to reduce inequality and secure equal rights for all.
We're also working closely with International Service’s team in Mali (a neighbouring country) so that we can share best practices and collaborate on projects."

In July 2009, the Government of Burkina Faso took the historic decision to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons. 

The Convention reinforces the protection of rights for people with disabilities, and identifies changes that need to be made.  
Have there been any changes in Burkina Faso as a result of this?  

"The Ministry for Social Action and National Solidarity has been working with international NGOs to develop a national strategy on protecting and promoting the rights of disabled people. 

In January 2010, International Service began a national advocacy campaign aiming to establish a monitoring committee for the Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons.  This campaign involved key organisations, NGOs and networks in the disability sector.
In May 2010, we organised a conference on the Convention to help people learn more about it, and how disabled people and their organisations can be involved in the process of implementing and monitoring it.

Our conference received really positive feedback from all the participants."