TITLE:
Employment of Women with Disabilities in Zimbabwe in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
AUTHORS:
Sikhangezile Ncube, Motalenyane Alfred Modise, Alexander Gregg
KEYWORDS:
Disability, Gender, Discrimination, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Feminism
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.11 No.12,
December
28,
2023
ABSTRACT: Societies are faced with paradigm shift in
disability issues from institutionalisation to inclusion. Industries are
shifting to the fourth industrial revolution. Long standing patriarchal
societies are into gender equality. In the midst of all these revolutions is
the woman with disabilities considered in employment which is a tool to economic
empowerment? Employment is a key activity of adulthood that is crucial to
independence. However, disability and gender can result in limited access to
the open labor market and consequently less participation. While the employment
of people with disabilities has received considerable attention in labor
legislation and supporting documents, there is a dearth of empirical research
on the development of disability employment policies and their effectiveness in
developing countries. Hence people with disabilities especially women still
suffer exclusionary inclusion in work and work-related sectors. The study seeks to unveil whether the Fourth Industrial
Revolution (4IR) mitigates or exacerbates the challenges faced by the women
with disabilities in accessing and keeping employment in Zimbabwe. The study
was delimited to Bulawayo Metropolitan Province of Zimbabwe. 15 women with
various disabilities both employed and unemployed were purposively sampled as
respondents for the study. Semi structured interview schedules and observations
were the tools for data gathering. The study was underpinned on the Critical
Disability Theory (CDT) of Max Horkeirmer and the Feminist theory. The study
revealed a lack of inclusion and highlighted discrimination rendered at schools or
in educational institutions as holding back women with disabilities in the
transition from school to industry especially in this hype of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution (4IR). Physical barriers or inaccessible environments
were highlighted among the challenges. Societal negative attitudes to people
with disabilities, were picked as an attitudinal barrier for women with
disabilities to excel in employment. Culture issues, gender roles and feminine
issues also press the women down. For the purpose of this study women and girls
will be put in one umbrella as employment of women with disabilities is
interlinked to the upbringing and education of girls with disabilities.