FWD Life Promotes Social Inclusivity, Empowering People with Disabilities

FWD Group (“FWD”) is committed to encouraging people with disabilities to have a sense of security and be independent. FWD focuses on creating positive change and advocating for equal opportunities for disadvantaged community groups—particularly people with disabilities—by providing education, employment and financial opportunities. PT FWD Life Indonesia (“FWD Life”) brings this commitment to life by partnering with organisations such as Special Olympics Indonesia (SOIna), a global inclusion movement using sport, health, education and leadership programmes to empower and end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities; and Humanity & Inclusion (H&I), who work with people in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict, and disaster to create a more inclusive society and a brighter future for everyone.

There are 370 million disabled people in Asia alone, and it is estimated that they are 80% less likely to get a job compared to anyone else. To help address this, FWD Life concentrates its efforts on helping those who are most vulnerable, ensuring that they have access to opportunities and can live independent and empowered lives. This is in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which FWD Life wants to be actively involved with, specially by achieving SDG Goal 8 which targets “Decent Work and Economic Growth” and Goal 10 which targets “Reduced Inequalities”.

“At FWD Life, we believe in the importance of giving back and helping to create change for communities in need and through our partnerships we can help to empower people with disabilities in Indonesia. We want to focus on this important group as we see a huge pool of untapped talent with a variety of valuable skills, points of view, and abilities. We want to ensure they have the best opportunities, so we also offer financial literacy training to them. Our partnerships with SOIna and H&I are just the beginning. We keen to see them to grow, just as we are growing,” said FWD Life President Director Anantharaman Sridharan.

In 2018, FWD Life officially partnered with SOIna for three years to sponsor two major programmes: Unified Schools and Athlete Leadership. To date, the partnership has reached more than 200 SOIna athletes through a series of roadshows in several cities across Indonesia. During these roadshows, FWD Life provides financial literacy training for the athletes and helps empower them to be confident, independent, and professionally active.

In 2019, FWD Life was delighted to welcome three hearing-impaired people to FWD Life as employees thanks to a partnership with H&I, who aims to become an advocate for equal opportunities for people with disabilities, whether physical and/or intellectual. This inclusive move