Thanks to European Union support, Caritas BiH with partner organizations launch a campaign called “5 to 12” (five to twelve), will take place from 7 to 30 April 2020, which aim is to raise public awareness of the right of persons with disabilities to work and employment. The campaign will be conducted within the POWER project, which aim is creating new opportunities for work, employment and vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities.
Survey on employment opportunities of people with disabilities (PWD) conducted under the POWER project shows that despite adopted existing legal and regulatory frameworks in BiH and Montenegro, there are still prejudices and stereotypes in the process of employing people with disabilities.
Therefore, further work is needed to improve institutional protection against discrimination of persons with disabilities, as well as to raise awareness among this population of their rights and opportunities. That the situation is serious and already “5 to 12” is also confirmed by the research whose results show that almost half of the surveyed persons with disabilities believe that the main reason for unemployment is the opinion that employers do not want to employ PWD.
As part of the campaign, www.zaposliosi.org web platform was created to provide people with disabilities and employers with information on job opportunities. The site provides information on legal procedures, vacancies, provides opportunities for registration of disabled job seekers, connecting employers and job seekers, as well as a host of other useful information such as an electronic search for organizations of persons with disabilities or career development materials.
Within the campaign “5 to 12”, which will be implemented in BiH and Montenegro, a short video will be broadcast, which in a credible way will indicate the need to respect human rights, with an emphasis on the right of persons with disabilities to work and employment.
The video is available at ZaposliOSi 5 do 12
The promotional materials will support the campaign’s outreach so as many citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro as possible are informed about the rights of persons with disabilities. The material is available on the Caritas Bosnia and Herzegovina website (www.caritas.ba).
The campaign is one of the activities of the POWER project – Creating new opportunities for work, employment and professional rehabilitation of people with disabilities. Project P.O.W.E.R. is funded by the European Union through the IPA II Cross-Border Cooperation Program Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro. The total value of the project is 459,776 EUR, of which the European Union finances 390,800 EUR. The project is implemented by Caritas Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with partners from BiH and Montenegro: Archdiocesan Pastoral Youth Center “Ivan Pavao II”, Association of parents of children with special needs Vedri Osmijeh, e Fund for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Caritas of Bar Archidiocese, Association of Paraplegic Bar and Business Start-up Center from Bar.