The National Human Rights Commission of Senegal (CNDH) on Tuesday singled out for praise the presence of people living with disabilities among the new deputies in parliament.
In Senegal, the fifteenth legislature was installed on Monday, with a strong majority of 130 deputies from the ruling party, PASTEF, including two people living with disabilities.
Blind MP, Amadou Lamine Diouf is the new deputy of the Senegalese based in North Africa while his
comrade Awa Seck, who is physically disabled, is among the elected representatives of the department of Mbacke, located in the center of the country.
“The presence, within this assembly, of deputies living with disabilities constitutes a major step forward in the promotion of inclusion and equal opportunities,” said in a press release the CNDH, led by Amsatou Sow Sidibe, a politician and law professor.
The organisation notes that the new legislature is marked by a “diverse representation that reflects the different components of society.”
It praises this initiative, which is a significant step towards equitable and inclusive representation in decision-making bodies.
It also encourages the authorities to “put in place the necessary facilities to ensure that MPs living with disabilities can fully exercise their mandate.”
Formulating recommendations, the CNDH advocates for the provision of suitable tools, such as documents in Braille for the visually impaired, as well as the development of infrastructure to make premises accessible to people with reduced mobility.
The commission also encourages political actors to “multiply efforts for an even more representative number of people living with disabilities in elective institutions during the next elections”.
It stresses how “crucial that this inclusive dynamic be strengthened to make Senegal an example in terms of human rights and citizen participation.”
ODL/te/Sf/fss/as/APA