Disability Inclusion in Malawi : Experiences and Recommendations to Advance the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Country

Overview & Synopsis

This report presents the findings of a mixed-methods assessment of the challenges and opportunities facing men, women, and children with disabilities in Malawi. It examines barriers to accessing healthcare, education, employment, and social protection services, as well as institutional and sectoral constraints affecting the implementation of disability-inclusive policies. The assessment highlights that persons with disabilities experience lower educational attainment, limited employment opportunities, poorer health outcomes, and higher levels of poverty. It also provides recommendations to strengthen disability inclusion through increased legal rights awareness, integration of disability considerations into education and training, capacity building for government institutions and organizations of persons with disabilities, harmonization of disability data systems, updates to national action plans, and improved access to inclusive education. The assessment was conducted by the World Bank in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Community Development & Social Welfare of Malawi.