ILO urges nations to hire more PWDs

To reduce the rate of poverty in the Philippines and other countries worldwide, the International Labor Organization (ILO) pushed for the hiring of more persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Coinciding with today’s observance of the International Day for PWDs, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia called on governments worldwide to promote decent employment among PWDs.

“When we promote the rights and dignity of people with disabilities, we are empowering individuals, enriching societies and strengthening economies,” Somavia said.

In a report entitled “The right to decent work of persons with disabilities,” ILO said employment of PWDs is vital in reducing worldwide poverty.

“Significant and sustained efforts are vital, not only to promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in employment, rural development and poverty reduction programs, but also in moving toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals for reducing poverty into half by the year 2015,” ILO said.

Based on ILO estimates, about 650 million people, or one out 10 people, worldwide have a disability. Of the figure, 470 million are of working age.

In the Philippines, close to a million people are suffering from various forms of disabilities ranging from physical to mental.

ILO said the social exclusion from the workplace of PWDs costs the global economy between $1.37 trillion to $1.94 trillion in estimated annual loss in GDP.

“There is a strong link between disability and poverty,” the ILO said, as it noted that 80 percent of PWDs worldwide live in developing countries.