Achievements

The We Decide Programme supports initiatives in countries across all regions, including in humanitarian contexts. Some of the achievements include:

• The proportion of censuses globally that include questions on disability rose to 73 per cent in 2020, up from 33 per cent in 2018. 
• More than 70 countries have benefited from our We Decide Guidelines on disability-inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights, which has enabled the planning and implementation of initiatives that consider women and youth with disabilities in providing access to services and information.
• With catalytic funding from We Decide, UNFPA country offices in Ecuador, Morocco and Mozambique strengthened their capacity for disability inclusion. This support enabled them to develop targeted actions and integrate disability considerations across all initiatives. Their efforts have attracted additional funding from other donors, allowing these countries to launch joint initiatives and sustain progress.
• In Ecuador, UNFPA provided technical assistance to the National Institute of Statistics and Census for the planning and execution of the Population and Housing Census, as well as promoting the inclusion of census questions recommended by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics. As a result, the census data generated a better understanding of persons with disabilities in Ecuador. In addition, UNFPA supported the training of government officials in the city of Otavalo on disability-inclusive gender-based violence prevention and response, leading to a commitment from local authorities to engage in inclusive initiatives​.
• A UNFPA Morocco research project contributed to a more disability-inclusive national health information system and a specialized centre that allows young people with disabilities to gain access to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services. 
• In Mozambique, UNFPA supported the advocacy efforts of the National Federation of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities to secure the 2024 passage of a bill on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.
• The UNFPA Arab States regional office and partners organized a regional youth consultation in Tunis, Tunisia, in 2023, which resulted in a Youth Declaration that helped inform the ICPD Regional Review Conference. 
• In East and Southern Africa, 160 educators in 12 countries have received training on comprehensive sexuality education for young people with disabilities, enabling educators to reach youth in and out of school.
• In West and Central Africa, training and support enabled UNFPA country offices to tailor and disseminate international tools, guidelines and instruments on disability, including our We Decide Guidelines.
• UNFPA delivered fully accessible training on disability data, advocacy and disability data literacy in the Asia and the Pacific region, and provided post-training support.
• Young people and women across Latin America and the Caribbean, including 160 women with disabilities across 19 countries, participated in training on sexual and reproductive health and rights through 56 national organizations of persons with disabilities.
• The UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia regional office has integrated the We Decide guidelines into a package of standards and procedures for effective coordination mechanisms related to gender-based violence. 
   

Guidance and standards for disability-inclusive action

At the heart of the We Decide Programme is a commitment to strengthening disability inclusion through practical, evidence-based guidance and tools. The programme sets standards for inclusive programming and supports implementation across UNFPA’s work and beyond.

Some of the core resources and standards developed through the programme:

• Making the Invisible Visible: This report explores the relationships between disability, intimate partner violence and the bodily autonomy of women of reproductive age.
• Believe in Better: This research provides an overview of statistics on young persons with disabilities, identifies the main barriers for their participation in decision-making spaces, and highlights the efforts and challenges of the UN system in promoting their rights.
• Young Persons with Disabilities: This global study has been widely used for advocacy and policy dialogue to promote rights and inform programming.
• Women and Young Persons with Disabilities: Also known as the We Decide Guidelines, this publication provides guidance on the provision of inclusive and accessible services regarding gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• The Path to Equality for Women and Young Persons with Disabilities: This  multimedia presentation describes the policy changes and investments needed to support the full range of rights and protections for women and young persons with disabilities. 
• Disability and the Right to Bodily Autonomy: This advocacy brief provides global guidance to ensure bodily autonomy is a reality for persons with disabilities.
• Think Accessibility! These guidelines help everyone who works at and with UNFPA to incorporate accessibility into their communication activities. 
• Disability Inclusion in UNFPA’s Programmes: This brief highlights practices for advancing disability-inclusive, gender-transformative and rights-based programming. 
• Wanted: A World for One Billion: This multi-sensory exhibit features photos, audio recordings and films about the lives of people with disabilities who ignite change for future generations. 

Creating a movement for catalytic change through partnerships

The We Decide Programme is more than just a programme – it is a movement for inclusion, dignity and rights, thanks to funding from AECID with support from Emakunde: The Basque Institute for Women. UNFPA calls on new donors to match this momentum with sustained and flexible funding to transform commitments into lasting, transformational change for persons with disabilities. Partnerships are especially welcome for:

Capacity building

• Strengthening capacity to mainstream disability inclusion and implement initiatives at global, regional and country levels; 
• Expanding the We Decide Programme into additional UNFPA country offices; 
• Establishing a critical mass of trained stakeholders to provide rights-based and gender-responsive services. 

Advocacy and policy dialogue

• Strengthening dialogues among policymakers on disability-inclusive prevention and response to gender-based violence, as well as on sexual and reproductive health and rights; 
• Engaging with policymakers and legislators to address the intersections of disability, age and gender; 
• Strengthening UNFPA leadership at the Conference of the States Parties regarding the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by organizing and participating in events that focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence and the bodily autonomy of women and young persons with disabilities. 

Data and evidence 

• Establishing new and innovative data and evidence to strengthen global positioning and advocacy on disability and gender; 
• Conducting novel data analysis using national demographic and health surveys and census data from a growing number of countries; 
• Strengthening disability data literacy skills of policymakers and other stakeholders, including organizations of persons with disabilities. 

Innovation and digitalization 

• Engaging young people with disabilities to find innovative ways to create access to essential services, humanitarian aid and e-health technology; 
• Developing accessible and disability-inclusive digital spaces to foster youth advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence; 
• Encouraging young persons with disabilities to create user-centred innovations in technology to help overcome barriers to information and services.
• For more information, contact disabilityinclusion@unfpa.org.

Updated 28 July 2025