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The "Ending stigma and discrimination - Breaking the cycle of poverty and marginalization of persons with disabilities" program is a multi-country 2-year program (March 2021 to December 2023) implemented in 4 countries: Mozambique, Tanzania, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. It is funded by the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) and implemented by UNESCO in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO). The program aims to address stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions and workplaces.

This project was designed on the ground that Persons with Disability (PWD) are more likely to face unemployment, underemployment, and economic inactivity due to the belief that they are unproductive and accommodating them in TVET programs or employment is too expensive. Additionally, women with disabilities often face further discrimination, making them more vulnerable. Despite the ratification of the United Nations on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in the four countries, PWDs continue to be left behind and get low-quality education and job opportunities.

The main objective of the program is to break the cycle of poverty and marginalization faced by persons with disabilities. It seeks to improve the employment prospects and quality of life for PWDs by combating negative stereotypes and prejudices that hinder their access to TVET and employment opportunities.

In Tanzania, the project works closely with relevant government ministries involved in disability rights, employers, workers' associations, TVET institutions, human rights organizations, and the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO). Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) are the implementing partners, collaborating with UNESCO in the execution of the program.

• The TVET institutions, Employers and Employers’ organizations fully understand the key concepts and standards of disability rights and inclusion, are aware of the existing stigma and discrimination patterns, and act to shift the perception and attitudes of their personnel vis-à-vis persons with disabilities. This requires systematic awareness-raising of the TVET administration, leadership, faculty, and students, as well as Human Resource Officers, Chief Executive Officers and staff of firms, led by OPDs and persons with disabilities themselves. Government’s leadership in setting up dialogue mechanisms between the responsible government departments, the TVET institutions, the Employers and their Organizations and the OPDs will be key in casting a shared and collective vision and commitment to fight stigma and discrimination.
• The policy inertia and the deep-rooted social stereotypes are unblocked by bringing afore convincing good practices of reasonable accommodations in TVET institutions and Employers’ organizations and firms. Considering the historical deep-rooted stigma and stereotyping of persons with disabilities as unproductive individuals, the high-level normative frameworks have to be supported by concrete models and practices that can be tested on the ground. The involved actors will need a practical accompaniment with precise guidelines on the reasonable accommodation modalities and tested practices that could efficiently deconstruct assumptions and prejudices on the unaffordability of reasonable accommodation.

The project outputs are focused on evidence-based research, practical tools, social inclusive dialogue, and piloting inclusive models that allow analysing disability stereotypes. Specific outputs are:

1. National Dialogue Committee established.
2. A Participatory Audit Tool to measure and address stigma and discrimination faced by people with disabilities in TVET and at workplaces developed.
3. Guidelines on Reasonable Accommodation established.

1. Operational and management structures have been established for smooth operationalization of the project.
2. Implementing partners (organizations with people with disability) have been identified to support project implementation.
3. Blended capacity building on disability inclusion, stigma & discrimination concepts in and workplaces completed
4. The program developed and piloted three participatory disability inclusion audit tools. These tools are used to measure stigma and discrimination against PWDs in TVET institutions and workplaces. The tools were tested in two TVET institutions: Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre and Dar es Salaam Region Vocation Training and Service Center (D-RVTSC). As a result, a collective understanding of stigma and discrimination patterns was improved. Areas of improvement to end harmful prejudices and stereotypes faced by PWDs were identified. The three audit tools are:
   1. Inclusion Surveys for Learners
   2. Inclusion Surveys for Instructors
   3. Disability Inclusion Scorecards (DISC)
5. Inclusion of Marginalized and Underrepresented Groups - The Washington group of questions on disability were embedded in the pilot of the audit tools to capture all types of disabilities including the underrepresented group of persons with disabilities and women.

The project, “Ending stigma and discrimination – Breaking the cycle of poverty and marginalization of persons with disabilities” acknowledges the contributions of line Ministries - Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST) and President's Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG) , The Dialogue Committee, TVET institutions, Organisations with persons with disabilities including  Youth with Disabilities Organization (YoWDO) and Furaha ya Wanawake Wajasiriamali kwa Viziwi Tanzania (FUWAVITA) for their enhanced collaboration and technical support in delivering some of the key aspects of the project outputs.