Spotlight on the ADP: “Tanzania needs to sign and implement this treaty”

A disability leader and teacher, Salma Haji Saadat shares her call for Tanzania to ratify the African Disability Protocol (ADP) and her desire to raise awareness across the continent.

Increasing awareness of the ADP in Tanzania

The ADP can serve as a foundation for advocating for the rights of people with disabilities across Africa and will be beneficial because it highlights what actions to take. The treaty was drafted in 2018, but many people, including those with disabilities, are still unaware of it. So, the biggest challenge is awareness. We need to advocate for it to people.

Likewise, policymakers and service providers are not aware of it. Because it is a treaty, it needs to be implemented in all ministries. The whole government needs to be involved, and it needs to be understood in depth. If we understood it, our government would have signed it.

Tanzania needs to sign and implement this treaty; we need to be the 16th country to ratify it. People with disabilities must also understand the treaty so they can demand their rights.

A tailored approach for Africa

ADP is a protocol focusing on the rights of people with disabilities in Africa. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities applies globally, but the ADP specifically addresses disability issues in African countries. It was created because Africa requires a tailored approach.

Different continents have different customs and traditions from one another. This protocol was made specifically for Africa, and it addresses, for example, the killing of people with albinism, which is a primary concern in Africa due to harmful cultural beliefs and dangerous environments, but it is not a problem elsewhere.

The ADP highlights harmful customs, traditions and practices affecting people with disabilities in Africa. I began advocating for it to my colleagues, explaining that this information also needed to be communicated to our counterparts in mainland Tanzania.

Raising the voices of young people with disabilities

I understand that, as older leaders, we cannot just advocate for this treaty ourselves. Instead, a new generation needs to understand. As elders, we cannot speak on behalf of the youth because we do not understand the needs of the young people and children.

When a person speaks for themselves, they have more dignity and there is room to listen and understand their wants.

We will make significant progress if we raise our voices because these are our issues.

Learn more about the Ratify ADP Tanzania campaign