Power of partnership conference: Presentation: What are the political and institutional conditions necessary for effective poverty reduction for persons with disabilities in Liberia?

1. What are the Political and
Institutional Conditions
Necessary for Effective
Poverty Reduction for
Persons with Disabilities in
Liberia?
Dr Maria Kett, Head of Research and Honorary
Reader in Disability and Development, Leonard
Cheshire Research Centre, UCL lcc@ucl.ac.uk
Mr Boakai Nyan, Group of 77, Liberia
Power of Partnership: Research to alleviate poverty
Delhi
3 December 2018

2. Our journey from research to impact…
How does multidimensional poverty affects wellbeing among
individuals with disabilities and their families in Liberia both
within the household and compared to their non-disabled
counterparts?
• Quantitative household survey (2,020 respondents)
comparing the responses of persons with disabilities
to their nondisabled peers in five counties
(Montserrado, Lofa, Cape Mount, Grand Bassa and
Sinoe) to understand inter- and intra-household
dynamics of poverty and disability
• 22 focus group discussions with persons with
disabilities, as well as six with Ebola survivors, to
compare the experiences during the Ebola outbreak of
2014-2015.
• Over 30 key informant interviews of community
leaders, government officials and other stakeholders
in the five counties.
• Analysis of disability inclusion in national policies and
legislations

3. Some key findings…

4. Key findings cont…
Lack of trust in state institutions, which
results in lack of expectation around
state support, particularly regarding the
rights and responsibilities of the state
towards older adults and women.
Persons with disabilities who are not
HOH are often politically disengaged,
perpetuating marginalisation and
exclusion -
Persons with disabilities – particularly
women with disabilities –experience
higher risk of crime and insecurity

5. Impact…
• University of Liberia – student
population; research interest and
capacity building
• Input into UNDP National Disability
Action Plan and Universal Periodic
Review (UPR)
• Proposal to GATES/MISK on Youth,
TVET and sports as a result of
partnership opportunities.
• Input into research publications
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6. What would you do differently?
• More mechanisms for sustainability – links between partners facilitated
impact, but there could be increased opportunities to actively engage with
research processes (but may need additional funding, e.g. to undertake
post-research impact and engagement activities in-country)
• Getting findings into practice as well as policy
• Stronger links to broader issues of discrimination and exclusion
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