Women with disabilities continue to suffer sexual and reproductive health violations despite the government having accepted the United Nations convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Females with various forms of disabilities are at high risk of abuse due to stigma, discrimination lack of support structures, lack of information pertaining to their rights and how to protect themselves.
In a recent interview DIWA co-ordinator Xoliso Msebele said the campaign would target a referral hospital in the city as well as other health centres.
“The major objective is to advocate for the dignity and respect of all women and girls with disabilities. Special focus will be on sexual and reproductive health rights. We want to demystify the sexual myths surrounding women and girls with disabilities,” said Msebele.
During the year-long campaign, the organisation expects to come up with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with at least two health institutions focusing on access and communication for women and girls with disabilities.
“Over and above this, we hope to engage and learn from each other on issues of access, pertaining to disability through the lenses of social model and come up with ways of how we
can domesticate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which Zimbabwe endorsed in September 2013,” she said.
DIWA will also hold nurses training workshops on Basic Sign Language (BSL). They also want to produce a position paper which will be shared with various ministries on access of sexual and reproductive health service for women and girls with disabilities.
“I hope this campaign will improve the facilities for people with disabilities at health centres and positively change the attitude of some medical staff. For a long time now we have been encountering challenges in accessing family planning and maternal facilities in public health institutions, “said Irine Moyo, adding that HIV positive and disabled women suffering from sexually transmitted diseases were harassed and booed when they seek treatment at public hospitals and clinics.
DIWA, formed in 2002, is an independent organisation of disabled women operating throughout Africa. The organisation‘s sole responsibility is to empower African women and girls with disabilities through research, information sharing, networking and partnership as well as capacity building.
Post published in: Analysis