UNAPD UNAPD intends to implement a project titled “YWDs empowerment for Political Participation” in the 3 sub-counties of Pallisa District as an effort to strengthen the effective participation of YWDs in the political dispensation in the district. UNAPD will capitalize on already built networks, synergies, collaborations, exposure achieved through the ended VOICE-Funded Project on advocacy for Reproductive Health in the 2 districts of Pallisa and Mbale to further capacitate the rights holders to be self-led advocacy agents towards their effective participation in the local based politics of Pallisa in a multi-sectoral approach. This project will also be based on the VOICE theory of change which is instigated by 3 paths; empower, amplify and influence, which is typical of a right holders’ organizations like UNAPD.  The intervention is justified by the fact that over 80% of Uganda’s population are estimated to be youth with age group of 18-30 years and 12.4% of this population are Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) while 23% of these are estimated to be Youth with Disabilities (YWDs). Since 1997 when Uganda started practicing democratic principles of governance, with the first election in 1996 as per the 1995 constitution, PWDs are entitled to participate in the electoral process. This is in addition to other legislative frameworks like: Section 8(2) of the Parliamentary Election Act (2005) section 8(2), Local Government Act (1997) section 10(d) <(>&<)> 23(d), and UNCRPD (Article 29(a). Despite the above legal framework, PWDs are not effectively participating in political process particularly in Pallisa district. Although YWDs constitute about 23% of PWDs population, less than 4% are visible as PWDs leaders at village or parish levels. The less activeness of YWDs as rights holders in the political dispensation can be classified in 2 ways; (i) YWDs irrespective of gender have not fully offered themselves to positions of leadership as voices of the voiceless, (ii) even those elected are not fully visible and accountable to their electorate to influence decisions or cause change. This pre-current scenario for the last 4 terms of Uganda’s political dispensation has branded YWDs as incapable or inferior to leadership.Due to the above situation coupled with several other factors, UNAPD as a rights holder’s organization has priotized efforts to change the status quo among the YWDs as our communities of practice. Therefore, UNAPD in partnership with her membership community-based association of Pallisa District will empower the rights holders in 3 sub-counties, i.e.  Pallisa Town Council (Urban), Kamechi (Rural) and Kasodo (fishing community) as agents of change and influence decisions for their active participation in an ever-shifting political and leadership spaces in a self-led multi sectoral approach in an effort to change the status quo of disability politics. This will be achieved through mixed lobbying and advocacy interventions informed by baseline survey, empowerment trainings, mentoringand coaching, exchange visitsand community led initiatives like people’s parliament, annual reviews and score cards, monitoring documentation and dissemination, and support to pressure groups (“Now Us”) through the trust fund for positive change and collective accountability, among others.