16 Days of Activism: Women with Disabilities against Gender Based Violence

As Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities,we join the globe to mark 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence(GBV).We are #UnitedtoEndGBV and put emphasis on #WomenwithDisabilitiesAgainstGBV.We join together with partners across the Women Gaining Ground Consortium through CREA in making a collective call to find inclusive approaches of preventing and eliminating gender based violence against women and girls, including those whose voices continue to remain at the margins, such as women and girls with disabilities.

We recognise that GBV experiences have similarities across our diversities as women and girls. We also acknowledge the different experiences across these diversities including those of women and girls with disabilities. Recently, the United Nations Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, released a  statement to address the violence, stigma, and discrimination that disproportionately impact the human rights of persons with disabilities who also are of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

As a Network of women and girls with disabilities, and from a recently held Webinar, we have data that shows that in most instances, perpetrators of violence are (often) people known to the victims. Many participants in focus group discussions in 4 counties with 41 women with disabilities indicated that the abusers are either their spouses/boyfriends, known family members, and caregivers who can be relatives or neighbours.

A majority of our respondents knew where to report cases of violence, either to the police, community elders or members of the family. Unfortunately, several reported cases were not taken seriously while some law enforcers were bribed by perpetrators and their families to drop the cases.  Access to justice for women and girls with disabilities who are victims of gender-based violence still remains a major challenge that needs a solution.

As the Network, we have made recommendations to address some of the issues we have found as relates to GBV and women and girls with disabilities. Over the following 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we are raising our voices, together with millions of other voices, and reiterating, ‘"UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls", and we add, (in all their diversities!)

Here are some recommendations we are putting an emphasis on during the 16 days of activism:

• Investments to continuous rights capacity building for women and girls with disabilities alongside women without disabilities for allieship and understanding of unique barriers faced to collectively address them.
• Investment in awareness raising initiatives and disability training to service providers incuding those in the justice system. Disability inclusion trainings encompass many and diverse ways to ensure that women with disabilities are able and can access justice, including budgeting for sign language interpreters in police stations and accessibility features including in hospitals.
• Investments by county governments to address issues of women with disabilities especially on accessing a livelihood. A lack of resources including monetary resources has been reported as a vulnerability for gender based violence for women with disabilities.

Take aways from a Network Webinar

On the 22^nd November, just a few days before the start of the 16 days of activism against gender based violence, we held a webinar that embraced an inclusive feminist lens in its approach. Speakers considered diverse ways that can be factored in eliminating cases of gender based violence as affects women and girls with disabilities. Speakers also highlighted  the diversity of experiences of structurally marginalised groups in our communities in an effort to propose inclusive solutions as well as to solidify collaborations across different groups and movements.

Quotes

Abuse by caregivers

There are situations where a woman /girl with a disability is abused by their caregivers. They fear reporting to the authorities because of obvious power imbalances that exist. If a friend wants to report such a situation, they are also afraid about their safety. It is a difficult situation.

On Leadership

Because of the heightened risks of violence, women with disabilities shun away from taking up leadership spaces. Discrimination and stereotypes compound the challenges they face, limiting their opportunities for meaningful participation and reinforcing social inequalities. This intersectionality heightens vulnerability and impedes the full realization of their rights and potential.

When Justice is elusive

There are instances where the girls and women with disabilities have no option but to cooperate with the wrongdoer and the case is not concluded. There are instances where witnesses are bribed to withdraw. A case can even be withdrawn because the perpetrator is from their community or family. Getting justice becomes so difficult!

On Data

With little to no data on how GBV affects women and girls with disabilities, many policy actions do not address the specific issues that they face when it comes to GBV. It then becomes difficult to implement actions that eliminate GBV against women and girls with disabilities.

Lack/Limited knowledge on GBV

Most of the time, women and girls with disabilities lack knowledge of what is happening; whether it is GBV or not. For example if a girl with a disability has witnessed violence continually, they may form the impression that such behavior is normal.

Human Rights Violations

Some girls and women with disabilities especially in rural places are locked up in houses with the assumption that they are being protected because they would be hurt if they move around. The local authorities are aware of this and taking no action. This has to be addressed from a holistic perspective involving families, communities and authorities.

On reporting

Many women and girls with disabilities experience a lot of stigma and discrimination, and many at the grassroots are not aware of the reporting procedures on issues of gender- based violence.

Inclusive approaches to fight Gender Based Violence

We continue to work collaboratively with other organizations - both women’s rights organizations and the county government to ensure that sensitization of women and girls with disabilities on their rights is given a priority. We've all also done sensitization to different stakeholders and leaders on inclusion of persons with disabilities in community programs and other government programs.

Policies

We have a County gender based violence policy. It is through this policy that we sensitize our people on the response to gender based violence, and also to ensure that the survivors of gender based violence are protected. 

On Economic Empowerment

We believe that through economic empowerment women with disabilities are able to improve their social status, and this can be an avenue that strengthens their voices to speak about other issues that are affecting them including GBV.

Hon. Dennitah Ghati,HSC 

It is important to point out intersectionality. Women are not a homogenous group. We are aware and data and experience reiterates that as women and girls with disabilities we are more at risk to violence, sexual and gender-based violence.

Vilda Atieno

As young people with disabilities, there are many things to address when it comes to GBV. Safe spaces where we can freely speak about our experiences on GBV. When we lack such spaces, there have been many instances where our mental wellbeing is negatively affected. Digital spaces must also be safe as well as provide resources to access useful information on GBV.

Commissioner Washington Sati, MBS 

When a case on GBV is reported at the community level, let us say a police station, it requires to be expeditiously addressed without any form of delay. We know that is not always the case. It can especially be difficult when it concerns women and girls with disabilities. There are many barriers, including negative attitudes towards women with disabilities.We have laws that address these violations. But we also know that implementation is weak in many instances.  

Lucy Mulombi

My experience doing grassroots advocacy has been that among others, gender-based violence is manifested among women with disabilities through physical violence, sexual violence, forced marriages, emotional/psychological violence. Majority of the women and girls with disabilities live in poverty. Economic empowerment remains a key issue, because most women at grassroots are poor, so it means they cannot defend themselves in terms of really agitating for their rights.

Phylis Mbeke

We are not a homogenous group. We must be aware of the different intersections. Persons with disabilities are of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. We face discrimination and violence at these intersections, both for the gender identity as well as the disability.  We must exercise our rights on an equal basis as others.  SGBV remains one of the biggest forms of violence that continue to exist. We are saying when it comes to the most at risk populations that policies need to be there. Rights still continue to be rights, and people exercise their rights, no matter what. We must always speak about experiences of further marginalisation, within marginalisation.