Kyrgyzstan 

Persons with disabilities were among the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan. The disruption in the delivery of essential support and services, and lack of access to mainstream health provision were some of the widespread limitations. The project “Enhancing disability-inclusiveness of social protection system in Kyrgyzstan” supported the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to design, cost, and implement effective disability-inclusive social protection schemes and services. The aim was to improve the overall system and enable full participation of persons with disabilities in the community, increasing their skills and access to employment opportunities and the labour market.

The initiative aimed to inform the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration efforts to improve access of persons with disabilities to social protection and employment programmes, based on an in-depth needs assessment. Persons with disabilities co-designed service options and were empowered to participate in social protection system monitoring. Importantly, the project provided evidence towards improving the financing of social protection schemes as well as to creation of continuum of services for the inclusion and independence of persons with disabilities.

Disability inclusion is high on the Government’s agenda. It is prioritised in the National Development Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2040 and the National Development Programme until 2026. The Government worked on the development of the National Programme “Inclusive Country” for 2021-2024 to enhance disability inclusiveness of the environment, institutions and services.

Project implementation period: March 2022 to September 2023.

Key achievements in 2022

• The Project fostered a better understanding and collaboration between trade unions, employers’ organizations, an association of organizations for people with disabilities, international development partners (such as GIZ and Solidarity Center), UNICEF and the Government on disability issues in social protection and public financing.

• With the support of the project, the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration extended its technical capacity to improve the design of employment and social protection policies to promote greater inclusion of people with disabilities. This was achieved via three approaches: (i) Design thinking was applied to develop new service models for the inclusion of adult persons with disabilities in communities and in the labour market. (ii) Technical expertise was provided to the Ministry’s interagency working group for improving the quota system for the employment of people with disabilities. (iii) A legal review of the Labour Code regarding the chapter on disability issues was initiated and policy recommendations were provided.

• The Project supported the development of a policy framework on disability, contributing with its technical expertise on international social security standards and providing recommendations for the National Programme “Inclusive Country” for 2021-2024.

• Policy briefs were produced by the Project offering a legal and policy overview of the status of people with disabilities in Kyrgyzstan, as well as recommendations to enhance their inclusion.

• The Project carried out an initial analysis of the overall performance of the social protection budget, its adequacy and efficiency, and initiated a review of the financing options, adequacy, and coverage of social protection schemes for people with disabilities. The aim was to present different scenarios for budget reallocation to foster disability-inclusive social protection schemes and the optimization of the schemes’ delivery.

• Consultative dialogue initiated as part of social protection policy preparation and advocacy on disability issues continued with the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration and the Ministry of Finance.

Resources

• Final Report: Applying design thinking to develop new service models for inclusion of working age persons with disabilities in community and labour market in Kyrgyzstan in English and Russian (February 2023)
• Video: Design-thinking workshop on the expansion of labour market inclusion for workers with disability. Watch it here in Russian (November 2022)
• Concept note of the public discussion “Quota systems for employment of people with disabilities: advantages, disadvantages and affirmative actions based on international experience” (September 2022)
• Policy Brief #1 – Rapid disability legal and policy review, in English and in Russian (January 2022)

• Policy Brief #2 – Disability-inclusive social protection, in English and in Russian (January 2022)
• Policy Brief #3 – Recommendations to enhance inclusion of persons withdisabilities Kyrgyzstan in English and in Russian (January 2022)
• Disability related data – Kyrgyzstan (October 2019)
• Enhancing disability – inclusiveness of social protection system in Kyrgyzstan – Project brief (in English)
• Enhancing disability – inclusiveness of social protection system in Kyrgyzstan – Project brief (in Russian)

Events

• Public event dedicated to the International Day of People with Disabilities: “Birge kotorgon zhuk zhenil bolot”, organized in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration and the Public Charitable Foundations “DMCHA-LOVZ” and “Datka-ayymdar Zhamaty”, to promote the socialization of people with disabilities through employment, sports and the arts, as well as to raise public awareness of inclusivity as an intrinsic aspect of sustainable development, 3 December 2022
• Design-thinking workshop on the expansion of labour market inclusion for workers with disability in Kyrgyzstan, 23-25 November 2022
• National dialogue forum on “Disability Inclusion Employment Practices in Kyrgyzstan – Peer-to-Peer Exchange”, 14 November 2022
• Workshop “Design Thinking to identify the needs of persons with disabilities for supporting the design of social protection benefits enabling inclusion into labour market.”  The seminar was carried out jointly with experts from the German organization Protellus – Karg & von der Heyde Gb for representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Migration, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the Ministry of Finance, the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan, the Business Association JIA, the Association of Social Entrepreneurs (ASP), the Public Employment Service of Bishkek City, the Department of Social Protection of Bishkek City,  Kyrgyz Society of the Blind and Deaf, the Association of Disabled People of Kyrgyzstan, NGO Union of People with Disabilities “Equality”, people with disabilities and developments partners, 16, 20 and 26 October 2022
• Stakeholders consultation to discuss new service models for the inclusion of adult persons with disabilities in communities and the labour market, October 2022
• Public discussion on “Quota Systems for Employment of People with Disabilities: Advantages, Disadvantages and Affirmative Actions Based on International Experience from Spain and France”, with representatives of the Parliament; the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration; the Ministry of Economy and Commerce; the Ministry of Finance; employers’ organizations; the Federation of Trade Unions; organizations of persons with disabilities; international development partners; and persons with disabilities, 23 September 2022
• Meetings with the Deputy Minister and technical staff of the Ministry of Finance to enhance the understanding of budget analysis from a disability perspective, July 2022
• Bilateral meetings with the Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Security and Migration and the Deputy Ministerof Finance to discuss the project activities and expected results, and exchange opinions and experiences, June and July 2022
• Stakeholder consultations during 2022 with technical staff of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration to promote a better understanding of disability-sensitive service design and of the relevant international social security standards
• Stakeholder consultations conducted by international and national consultants mainly with technical staff of  the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic and Social Fund for the data collection on budget analysis, where they also discussed budget expenditures on benefits for people with disabilities and fiscal opportunities

Partners

The project is co-facilitated by the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration in close collaboration with social partners, and implemented in cooperation with local authorities, Social Protection Departments on the local level and Public Employment Services. The Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Health will also be included in project activities. The ILO will provide technical support. Collaboration with the EU Delegation in Kyrgyz Republic established in the project design phase will extend in the implementation period to ensure synergies with other ongoing interventions.

Contacts

Ms Jasmina Papa, ILO, Social Protection Specialist,  Decent Work Technical Support Team and Country Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, papa@ilo.org

Ms Aida Bektasheva, ILO, National Project Coordinator, bektasheva@ilo.org