WUNRN
March 4 2009
By Rosemary Okello
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In the face of escalating of sexual violence in
A victim of post-election violence in
Patricia Nyaundi, FIDA-K’s
Executive Director, says that disabled women in
Miriam Muto agrees. Program Co-coordinator for the
13 year old Nekesa, who is both physically and mentally disabled, was raped because of these myths. She has since given birth to a normal child, but is oblivious to what is happening around her.
“Society believes that we are not sexually attractive. When a disabled woman tests HIV positive, people normally raise eyebrows of incredulity to the point of even asking how people with a disability can have sexual feelings,” says Muto, who adds, “My disability does not affect my womanhood.”
She describes her daily experiences as a commuter on public transport as a traumatizing ordeal. “I have to be lifted up by men to get in and out of the vehicle. Some of them touch me inappropriately.”
“At one time a matatu tout asked me,“Si wewe hufurahi ukishikwa shikwa?” (You must be happy when men touch you all the time). This memory brings tears to her eyes.
She also recounts how she was once mugged on
Her fellow passengers ran off, but there was little she could do to escape, being limited in her mobility. “Fearing that I could be raped, I jumped from the matatu (mini-bus), but in hindsight I realize that the experience could have disabled me further,” she says.
Another young woman in a wheelchair asserts that these stories are just the tip of the iceberg. “The reality is much worse, and the real story is yet to be told. Rape and sexual abuse for women like me is an everyday occurrence. When we are raped, we don’t know where to go or who to report to. There is always the fear that something worse could happen to you (by reporting).”
During the 2008 16 Days of Activism campaign to fight gender-based
violence, participating organizations such as the Coalition on Violence Against
Women in
Despite various indicators showing the prevalence and disturbing
nature of abuse perpetrated against women with disabilities, such violence is
rarely acknowledged. Society’s negative perceptions and ostracism of women with
disabilities affords them an invisible status, resulting in increased exposure
to violence and fewer opportunities for recourse.
Social
Stigma, Inadequate Services
Duncan Mwangi, Executive Officer for the Association of the Physically Disabled, says that society perceives disabled women as a bad omen. Men who cohabit with disabled women usually come home late and leave early in the morning so that they are not seen with them.
“They are not allowed to inherit property because of their disabilities and this leaves them destitute and poor,” explains Mwangi.
Women with disabilities in
“Since disability is stigmatized in
A needs assessment survey carried by the various NGOs indicates
that mental disability is highest among women, followed by physical then visual
impairments.
Even if violence against women with disabilities is recognized, available
services are often inadequate and strewn with obstacles. After navigating
precarious roads and ramps too steep or too narrow for wheelchairs, the women find
that national service providers lack the training and resources to meet their
needs. The women are usually then referred to separate organizations
specializing in disability.
Ms. Muto adds that those with hearing and visual impairment have
been compromised. “There is a communication barrier in terms of dissemination.
Information contained in posters is not available in Braille, which is a major
drawback in terms of making information accessible to everyone.” Often no sign
language interpreters are provided for the deaf. The same exasperating scenario
applies to women who seek justice in the legal system, where the majority
cannot afford legal fees.
Legal
System
Ms. Nyaundi argues that the rights of women with disabilities are
being violated every day because of a lack of clear laws and policies guiding
the handling of their issues. Though
“Unless the issue of disability is enshrined within the
Constitution,” she points out, “issues like the sexual abuse of women with
disabilities in
Taking matters into their own hands, the disabled in
Even though the Act provides for the establishment of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) to be the focal point for all issues relating to the disabled, with provisions to ensure that persons with disabilities are educated, employed and participate fully in sporting recreational and cultural activities, the rights of disabled women are still being violated.
Ms. Muto calls on the government to put disability on the national
agenda in earnest. “Those who agitate for human rights should also include the
rights of women with disabilities. We cannot access public toilets, pubic
transport and even delivery tables, so where are our rights?”
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