The Right to Social Protection for Persons with Disabilities in the Middle East and North Africa provides a comprehensive analysis of how legal and policy frameworks across the region address the rights of persons with disabilities. Covering 12 MENA countries, the paper examines the extent to which national systems align with international human rights standards, particularly the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The study highlights a critical gap between commitment and implementation. While many countries have taken steps to improve legislation, social protection systems largely remain rooted in medical and charity-based approaches, rather than inclusive, rights-based models. As a result, persons with disabilities continue to face systemic discrimination, limited access to services, and exclusion from economic and social life.
By identifying key legal and policy barriers, such as the persistence of the medical model of disability, gaps in anti-discrimination protections, and challenges related to legal capacity, the paper offers a clear roadmap for reform. It calls for a shift toward inclusive, lifecycle-based social protection systems that recognize persons with disabilities as rights-holders and active participants in society.
