Summary

Background

The right to participate in political processes is fundamental to democratic governance, economic development and human rights.

Objectives

We assessed participation in political processes and also explored factors associated with voting at the most recent election for people with and without disabilities.

Results

Among 4,180 participants in Cameroon and 4,171 in Senegal, disability prevalence was 9.77 per cent and 10.89 per cent, respectively. More than half of the participants had voted at the most recent elections in both Cameroon (52.31 per cent) and Senegal (58.27 per cent). Participants with an interest in politics, having all the key documents or registered with a political party, were more likely to vote in both countries. Adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, people with disabilities were less likely to vote compared to those without disabilities in Cameroon (odds ratio [OR] = 0.58 [0.40, 0.84]) and in Senegal (OR = 0.36 [0.26, 0.44]).

Conclusion

There is an urgent need to address the socio-political and environmental factors identified to close the disability gaps in voting and ensure equitable opportunities and levels of political participation between people with and without disabilities.

Contribution

This article contributes to the existing knowledge base on the political participation of people with and without disabilities in Cameroon and Senegal.

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