Inspiring collaboration between the Network and CREA

The Network and CREA have recently collaborated on an inspiring piece of work to advance conversations on preventing and eliminating gender-based violence (GBV) against women and girls, including those with disabilities, as well as strengthening women’s leadership and women’s political participation in decision-making. This is under the Women Gaining Ground (WGG) Consortium. WGG aims to equip women and girls with the necessary tools and skills to be architects of a society free from violence, and lead political and social transformation to redefine, prevent, and eliminate GBV.

The collaborative piece entailed two strands. Firstly, we brought together women with disabilities who are members of the Network to reflect and dialogue on progress made in as far as ending violence against women and girls with disabilities, and engagement in political participation is concerned. Secondly, and as a follow-up, we held a Policy Dialogue event that brought together stakeholders from government departments and agencies, civil society organisations and organisations of persons with disabilities to not only share the issues brought up in the first Dialogue with relevant stakeholders, but also to action the issues that had been earlier raised.

The result: Building bridges between the Network and key stakeholders to work together to address barriers experienced by women and girls with disabilities when it comes to their access to decision-making spaces, as well as to their experiences of violence in its many forms. Here are some examples of what at the Network level we see as important results from this work: 

Accessing Justice

During the Policy Dialogue discussions, Network members were informed about an ongoing research study by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Global Africa Regional Programme on how women with disabilities access justice. This is an area that the Network will tap into and be part of building an important resource on access to justice for women and girls with disabilities in Kenya. Our members shared experiences of traditional justice systems that do not address cases of women and girls with disabilities in a fair manner, and which oppress them; as well as formal justice systems that are inaccessible.  

Offering Opportunities for upcoming Young Disabled Leaders 

WGG has supported the Network to work with Champions with disabilities over a period, during which we have markedly seen how bold the young women with disabilities have become, not just in their confidence levels, but by how they are broadly strengthening themselves as disability advocates. These young women with disabilities are working at the community level to make the voices of women and girls with disabilities heard.  In a panel discussion for example, we heard how a Champion who is Deaf is working to address concerns of early child marriages in her community; we also heard tough questions coming from a young political aspirant on how young women with disabilities with political ambitions can be supported to succeed in the political field when there are so many barriers that they have to contend with. 

Mentorship on Political Participation

A nominated Member of Parliament, Umulkher Harun Mohamed, offered to mentor women with disabilities with political ambitions. In her speech during the Policy Dialogue, Umi, as she is often called, spoke about the challenges of accessing political spaces. She reiterated that it was already a tough field for women, acknowledging that it would be even harder for women with disabilities, considering the extensive barriers that women with disabilities face. Umi has sponsored the Sign Language Bill, 2024, which is currently before Parliament, and which intends to eliminate barriers faced by Deaf people in public spaces. She is a big and committed ally of the disability movement and offered to closely work with the Network. 

Advancing Conversations on Femicide

Together with CREA, we are also feeding into a paper led by CREA on femicide, where we are bringing in a disability angle. Audrey Mugeni led a discussion on how we ensure that the anti-femicide movement is intersectional, inclusive, and accountable to all women including those with disabilities.

The collaborative work that we have done with CREA has also seen us come up with recommendations that we shall continue pursuing as a Network. We shall develop a policy paper that considers these recommendations, which we shall use for our advocacy going forward. They include the following:

Ableism as a barrier that must be dismantled - What we hope to do  

  • Awareness Campaigns: Inclusive media campaigns that challenge stereotypes and promote disability rights. 
  • Policy Reform: Advocating for anti-ableist policies. 
  • Training Programs: Implementing disability sensitivity training for diverse stakeholders.  

Meaningfully Engaging and including Women with Disabilities 

  • Inclusive Decision-Making: Ensuring women with disabilities are represented in leadership roles and policy-making bodies. 
  • Community Forums: Creating safe spaces for dialogue where women with disabilities can share experiences and influence local agendas. 
  • Accessible Communication, such as sign language and easy-to-read formats, in all engagement efforts. 

Investing in Leadership and Mentorship Programs targeting Women and Girls with Disabilities 

  • Mentorship Networks: Establishing peer mentorship programs connecting young women with disabilities to experienced leaders. 
  • Scholarships and Fellowships: Funding for leadership training, education, and entrepreneurship. 
  • Partnerships: Collaborating with rights organizations to co-design leadership curricula 

Accessing Justice 

  • Legal Aid Services: Fund and promote accessible legal support for survivors with disabilities. 
  • Training for Law Enforcement: Educating police and judicial officers on disability rights and trauma-informed approaches. 
  • Safe Reporting Mechanisms: Developing confidential and accessible channels for reporting violence. 

Reimagining Long-Term Sustainable funding for Women with Disabilities 

  • Inclusive Grantmaking: Encouraging donors to prioritize disability-inclusive funding criteria. 
  • Social Enterprises: Supporting income-generating projects led by women with disabilities   

For more, reach us at: advocacynetworkkenya@gmail.com

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