More Research Needed on Disability-Inclusion in Humanitarian Action

On 11 and 12 May 2023, our project partner the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) organized a workshop on “Disability Inclusive Humanitarian Action: Where Do We Stand Today?” as part of Phase 3-Leave no one behind! project activities.

The workshop brought together 14 experts to discuss ongoing research in the field of disability studies and humanitarian action, share challenges and opportunities for designing and implementing participatory and collaborative research projects, and explore future possibilities for cooperation. The participants came from different disciplinary backgrounds: international law, psychology, political science, sociology and anthropology.

The participants concluded that disability studies is still a marginalized field in humanitarian action, and more efforts are needed to raise awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities among policy makers, humanitarians, and scholars. To respond to the needs and specific requirements of persons with disabilities in crises, it is important to build capacities, acquire in-depth contextual and local knowledge through fieldwork, and enable meaningful participation of persons with disabilities throughout the research process.

Furthermore, participants highlighted the need to pay more attention to intersectionality in both research and practice. The workshop participants agreed to continue this fruitful exchange through more workshops, roundtables, conference panels, and joint projects.