Landlocked between Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina, Paraguay is a small country located in the center of South America. Of the working-age population (all individuals aged between 18 and 65 years old) in Paraguay, 6.9% are disabled. A disproportionate number of these individuals, when compared to able-bodied individuals, are impoverished, a clear indication of the relationship between disability and poverty in Paraguay.

Discrepancies in Disability

Though disability rates remain relatively the same across rural and urban areas, a difference exists across gender. Disability rates are nearly doubled in women at 9.7% versus 4% in men. Women make up 71% of the total disabled population in Paraguay and only 49% of non-disabled individuals.

Regarding education and employment, disabled individuals fall behind when compared with their able-bodied counterparts. For one, individuals with disabilities typically complete 0.45 fewer years of education. Additionally, 56% of individuals with disabilities complete primary school versus 72% of able-bodied individuals.

Only 49% of individuals with disabilities are employed compared with the 65% of able-bodied individuals that are employed. This gap becomes even more apparent in rural areas, where 47% of disabled individuals are employed versus 66% of able-bodied individuals. Disabled individuals are also more likely to be self-employed than able-bodied individuals (68% versus 52%).

Disability and Poverty in Paraguay

There exists a relationship between disability and poverty in Paraguay. Households with disabilities typically own fewer assets than other households. Disabled households have an asset index of 48.23, while other households have an asset index of 51.73. Households with disabilities also face higher poverty rates than those without disabilities. In both rural and urban areas, households with disabilities face a 40% poverty rate while able-bodied households face a 29% poverty rate. Notably, 9.06% of impoverished households have a disability, while only 5.93% of non-impoverished households have a disability.

Making Changes

A meeting with the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities revealed that Paraguay is taking strides to improve the conditions of life for its disabled population. For one, Paraguay has started compiling an atlas of disabled individuals. Additionally, Paraguay’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Marcelo Scappinni Ricciardi stated that Paraguay’s “National Secretary for the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities had implemented a biopsychosocial model of disability with a rights-based approach.” By this model, Paraguay has established a method to monitor its progress with regard to disabled persons.

Legal Changes in Paraguay

Paraguay’s government has made various legal changes to improve conditions for individuals with disabilities. Created in 2013, Law 5136, for instance, enhances education for disabled students. This is achieved by promoting the use of accessible resources (teachers, technology, etc.) and prohibiting discrimination from members of the educational community. Not only has this law formed a more equitable environment for learning, but it also has initiated further action, providing opportunities for gifted students.

Meanwhile, Law 5421, which Paraguay implemented in 2015, forbids discrimination against disabled persons in the workplace and mandates that training services must be at least 5% aimed at individuals with disabilities. In passing this law, Paraguay creates equal opportunity to disabled individuals to seek job training and employment.

Law 6354, which Paraguay created in 2019, ensures that at least one official trained to communicate with hard-of-hearing individuals is in every State entity. This was closely followed by Law 6530 in 2020, which officially recognizes Paraguayan Sign Language. Both 6354 and 6530 have spurred the inclusion of sign language in both its education and public service sectors. Paraguay has also taken additional steps to improve mental health care. 

By improving both its educational and working environment for individuals with disabilities, Paraguay promotes equal opportunity. Furthermore, this reduces the disparity in poverty rates between its disabled and able-bodied populations. In this way, the government fights disability and poverty in Paraguay.

Looking Ahead

While discrepancies in poverty, education and employment rates remain between individuals with and without disabilities, Paraguay has taken large steps to close this gap. By implementing change in the form of legal action and fleshed-out plans for the future, Paraguay is on its way to creating an equal playing field for its disabled population.

– Ariana Wang

Ariana is based in Dallas, TX, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikipedia Commons