Employment Opportunities And Situations At Work The Case Of Visually Impaired Women In Addis Ababa

The study was designed to assess the employment opportunities and workingrnsituations of women with visual impairment. In conducting the study, a total of 167rnsubjects were taken. The subjects comprise four groups. The main target group is 58rnemployed and 50 unemployed women with visual impairment. The other three groupsrnwere 55 staff-members/ 24 men and 31 female/, 3 managers and 1 representative ofrnpolicy makers. The study sites were 8 organizations/institutions in Addis Ababa.rnConcerning sampling techniques, the sites were purposefully taken and employed andrnunemployed women were drawn based on the availability sampling technique. Thernstaff-members and key persons-managers, a policy maker were taken purposefully.rnQuestionnaires, attitude scales interview and FGD were employed in order torngenerate data. Depending upon the nature of the data collected, both quantitativern(i.e. percentage, chi-square) and qualitative methods were employed in the analysis ofrnthe collected data.rnThe findings have shown that women with visual impairment are discriminated byrnhiring institutions. As a result, they have less access to employment opportunities,rnmainly due to the disability factor and gender. Hence, they are in double jeopardy.rnThe results also revealed that whether women with visual impairment are thernemployed or unemployed is determined primarily by the awareness of the society. Inrnaddition to this, the major cause of employment problem for them was found to bernless opportunity for education and training. Moreover, employers’ conditions,rncultural influence, lack of adequate material or moral support during school life, andrnself-perception about oneselfrnare the other causes for low employment opportunityrnof women with visual impairment.rnivIn addition to the discrimination, women with visual impairment face in getting job,rnthey are also discriminated in payment, promotion, transfer, and training. Thesernproblems however, were found to be less serious compared to getting job.rnConcerning the attitude of staff-members, except some, most of them have positivernattitude towards women with visual impairment. Though there was no clear patternrnas to the difference of attitudes between the men and women, women are morernpositive towards visually impaired women than men staff-members.rnSome recommendations were made based on the findings particularly in relation tornthe active role the government and NGOs have to play. The study gives a direction onrnpriority areas of interventions such as incentives, job-reservation, introducingrnappropriate new technologies, developing assertiveness in order to improvernsituations of women with visual impairment

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