ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL2.GPID/2022/POLICY BRIEF.8
Country: Lebanese Republic
Publication Type: Policy briefs
Cluster: Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development
Focus Area: 2030 Agenda
Initiatives: Realizing the rights of persons with disabilities
SDGs: Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, Agenda 2030
Keywords: Persons with disabilities, Labour market, Lebanon, Employment, Private sector, Public sector, Productivity
Persons with disabilities: Labour market perceptions survey Lebanon
December 2022
Persons with disabilities are employed at lower rates than the general population in Arab countries. Most Arab countries have made efforts to include persons with disabilities in their labour markets, however the gap persists and employers still have negative attitudes towards them. This cannot be explained by persons with disabilities being unable or unwilling to work. Rather, there are several barriers that prevent them from accessing employment opportunities. To study these barriers, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) conducted a survey, in 2021, of 69 public and private sector employers of varying sizes and from different sectors in Lebanon to identify their perceptions of the factors that hinder the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market.
The present policy brief provides an outlook of employers’ perceptions of employing persons with disabilities in Lebanon. It reveals that employers have attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder persons with disabilities from participating equally in the labour market.
Related content
2030 Agenda
Persons with disabilities are employed at lower rates than the general population in Arab countries. Most Arab countries have made efforts to include persons with disabilities in their labour markets, however the gap persists and employers still have negative attitudes towards them. This cannot be explained by persons with disabilities being unable or unwilling to work. Rather, there are several barriers that prevent them from accessing employment opportunities. To study these barriers, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) conducted a survey, in 2021, of 69 public and private sector employers of varying sizes and from different sectors in Lebanon to identify their perceptions of the factors that hinder the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market.
The present policy brief provides an outlook of employers’ perceptions of employing persons with disabilities in Lebanon. It reveals that employers have attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder persons with disabilities from participating equally in the labour market.
