Women with disabilities are at least two to three times more likely to experience GBV than those without disabilities

Women with disabilities are at least two to three times more likely to experience GBV than those without disabilities

Barbra Nyangairi


By Florence Zirima


Reflecting on the 16 days of Activism against gender based violence (GBV) it is significant to address the challenges that are being faced by women who are living with disabilities as they are more vulnerable to abuse than those who are able bodied.

This is a wake up call to everyone to ensure the enjoyment of equal rights for all in every facet of life.


One woman who is living with a physical disability shared her experience saying she was sexually abused after her ex husband threatened not to help her if she refused to have sex with him.


“My ex husband was perceived as a saint for being with and “taking care of” me.

The reality is he used coercive control threatening not to help me dress or bathe if I didn’t do what he wanted, it resulted in sexual abuse”, she explained.


A disability activist, Soneni Gwizi told this publication that women with physical disabilities face emotional abuse from their partners.


“In a relationship, women with physical disabilities face emotional abuse as their partners ask for a favour in order to assist them. The husband usually use his wife’s disability to abuse her instead of taking care of her as a partner”, she explained.


She further blamed the infrastructure setup which makes people with disabilities more vulnerable to abuse.


“Our homes in Zimbabwe are not disability compliant. This puts women with disabilities in a vulnerable position because they always need someone to help them move from one place to the other”, she said.


Gwizi also added that women with physical disabilities experience abuse on a daily basis from their assistants without the helpers realising that they are abusing them.


“If a woman with a physical disability travels from home to work, there is a chance of experiencing abuse from people who try to help them because not everyone is trained on how to handle people with disabilities.


For example there are certain ways of helping to lift up a woman with a physical disability.

If one holds their breast and lift them up from the shoulders they have already abused them because they have touched the more sensitive part of their body without their consent. With the fact that she needs to be lifted up she won’t say anything”, she explained.


In an interview with Signs of Hope Trust, Director Samantha Sibanda, she said that challenges faced by women who are living with disabilities have been highlighted hence the need to make a safe environment that is condusive to them to reduce cases of GBV.


Ms Sibanda told this publication that communication is one of the primary challenges that women with disabilities face mostly those with hearing impairments when reporting cases of GBV.


“There are numerous challenges that women with disabilities face when they go to the police station.
Most of the services do not offer sign language which makes the issues raised by women with hearing impairments are not confidential since they have to engage third parties for interpretation and support purposes”, she said.


Sibanda also highlighted the costs involved in getting the case to the court which are unbearable to most women with disabilities.


“Yes women with disabilities can have an access to medical services and psycho support but there is a lot of transport cost associated for the case to be heard in court.


They also have to travel for long distances especially in rural areas to access psycho support which is very difficult for someone who uses a wheelchair or clatches to walk”, she said.


Cases of GBV are under reported for persons with disabilities because some do not understand whether they have been abused due to lack of knowledge on GBV.


Ms Sibanda said that sometimes it is difficult for women with disabilities to report if they have been abused by their support persons.


“In most cases, perpetrators for women with disabilities are the support persons and this makes them impossible to go and report them”, she added.


In giving solutions to these challenges faced by women with disabilities as a way of reducing GBV, Ms Sibanda said as an organisation they are pushing for a one stop center where women can get help if they are abused to reduce movements as well as to maintain confidentiality.


She also highlighted the need for equality in acquiring funds from empowerment banks so that women with disabilities can also access loans to empower themselves which makes them less vulnerable to abuse.


“There should be equality when acquiring loans from banks because most empowerment banks demand project proposals and collaterals which most women with disabilities do not understand due to illiteracy.


Hence, very few women with disabilities access loans due to the conditions that are in place for one to get a loan”, she said.


Identities Media Holdings interviewed the Deaf Zimbabwe Trust Director, Barbra Nyangairi who emphasised on the need for community awareness on disability issues and to educate people with disabilities on sexual gender based violence (sgbv).


“Awareness on disability issues is important. Communities need to value people with disabilities so that they are protected.


Women and girls who are deaf are vulnerable to abuse sexually and physically as well as facing emotional neglect.


Safeguards at home should be put in place to ensure the security of women and girls with disability.

Women and girls with disabilities need to be educated on sgbv and how to protect themselves”, she said.


To reduce GBV in women with disabilities, women’s programs and disability-related service providers need to acknowledge the increased vulnerability to abuse that is experienced by women with disabilities and expand their programming to include awareness raising and educational activities that will enable women with disabilities to learn skills and strategies that will minimize their vulnerability and increase their power to protect themselves.

Nyari Mashayamombe

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