At this season when holiday jobs and other youth empowerment opportunities are being rolled out for students and young people, we come to you—our church leaders, civil society organizations, local government structures, civil societies, and all stakeholders out there—with a call to conscience and a call to action.
Persons with disabilities represent a significant part of our society. According to global estimates by the World Health Organization, persons with disabilities make up about 16% of the world’s population. In Cameroon, this means that in every village, quarter, school, church, and council, 16 out of every 100 young people you meet is a person with a disability. They are our brothers, sisters, children, and future leaders. Their talents, when given an opportunity, enrich our communities.
Yet, we know that many persons with disabilities face delays in education due to barriers linked to their condition. Because of these challenges, they often start or finish school later than others.
We respectfully draw your attention to ORDER N° 040/PM OF 19 MAY 2022, signed by the Prime Minister, Head of Government. While this decision has been on paper for years, it is sadly often ignored or disrespected during recruitments. This Order lays down the terms and conditions for granting an age exemption to persons with disabilities during competitive examinations, recruitment into public service, and other opportunities.
This means if a call for holiday jobs or recruitment is sent out with an age limit of 15 to 20 years, a young person with a disability might be left out because of schooling delays. However, the Prime Ministerial decision gives persons with disabilities an additional 5 years. Therefore, if the general age limit is 20, the age limit for persons with disabilities is expanded up to 25 years this preferential measure was put in place to ensure that delays caused by disability do not become permanent exclusion.
While some of these holiday jobs, jobs in general and youth opportunities are still being planned, many official calls for holiday jobs are already out in our municipalities and institutions. We are urgently calling on all church leaders, civil society organizations, local government structures, and all stakeholders to respect this law and meaningfully and intentionally include persons with disabilities in all holiday jobs, internships, skills training, and youth programs in your council, village, church, or institution. In addition, Reserve slots specifically for persons with disabilities, and explicitly write in all your advertisements and flyers: “Persons with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply.”
Your leadership today can break cycles of exclusion and open doors of hope. Let this holiday season be remembered as the season we chose equity.
The BEN project is implemented within the framework of the CBCHS EDID–Liliane Fonds–MIVA partnership, with CUAPWD as the advocacy lead.
