On Saturday 12 August 2023 The Somali Ministry of Women and Human Rights tabled the National Disability Act in the Federal government’s Parliament House of the People and the speakers to the Parliament handed the draft bill to the standing committee for human rights that is responsible for proofreading, a public hearing with people and editing the comments made the PWDs and professional legal experts.
On Thursday 27 July 2023 the federal government Somalia cabinet weekly official conference held in Mogadishu passed several draft bill  including the Somalia national disability drat bill passed by today with vote of the cabinet members. The national disability act is main legislation in Somalia that could support the PWDs in Somalia get more rights in the social and policy in the country.
Somali disability People and the organizations of the PWDs made acknowledgment that the national disability act draft bill will be one of the first national acts made so far for the PWDs in Somalia. Before, the 2029 CRPD and 2018 NDA Establishment Bill were passed by the federal parliament of Somalia and the government. The national disability act will be complementary to the establishing and passing bill in Somalia for disability people’s rights protection and promotion.
Somalia is one of the countries in the world without a national census for the PWDs, a country where PWDs are estimated nearly 15% of the population of 18 million nearly 2.7 million. One of the largest minorities in society is widely discriminated against the social development and political participation. This made the PWDs invisible
PWDs are very much appreciating the step forward the government made for the improvement of the situation of the PWDs in Somalia through the establishment of the national disability act powerful law that may reduce stigma, discrimination, exclusion, and violation of fundamental human rights for the people in the public and private life. As well as general apprentices for all people.
DPOs the disabled people organization in Somalia suffer the distraction of the partnership and cooperation for the development and humanitarian programs in Somalia equally with other non-Disabled NGOs that enjoy more privileges in the tenders and partnership for the programs and projects. The action and making some form of change that supports the DPOs play an active role in the partnership in Somalia.
Therefore, we all have roles and decisions to ensure the fulfillment of the commitments and legislations made for the PWDs and DPOs to be in the best interest of the people serving or no harm. This can be achieved through consolation with members of the PWDs and DPOs in the draft bill process with standing committees and technical experts for the legislations in Somalia.
