"Last Wednesday, twenty women with disabilities converged at United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) offices along Waiyaki way at Kabete Orthopaedic workshop to share and exchange views on violence against women with disabilities. The stories and experiences shared were just indescribable. Women with disabilities are the most violated in the society, and yet the violations are so secret that nobody seems to know except the victims themselves. Women with disabilities are an integral part of the society. In many, respects too, we have been disadvantaged by the reality of their impairments as well as owing to unwarranted discrimination by the rest of the society. We have been excluded from the mainstream socio-economic activities, no wonder a high proportion of women with disabilities are amongst the poorest."
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
Today Wednesday, twenty women with disabilities converged at United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) offices along Waiyaki way at Kabete Orthopaedic workshop to share and exchange views on violence against women with disabilities. The stories and experiences shared were just indescribable. Women with disabilities are the most violated in the society, and yet the violations are so secret that nobody seems to know except the victims themselves.
Women with disabilities are an integral part of the society. In many, respects too, we have been disadvantaged by the reality of their impairments as well as owing to unwarranted discrimination by the rest of the society. We have been excluded from the mainstream socio-economic activities, no wonder a high proportion of women with disabilities are amongst the poorest.
Women with disabilities are the most vulnerable to rape and unnoticed sexual abuse by male caretakers and family members. The critically disabled are sexually exploited by those purporting to assist them who threaten to refuse to push their wheelchairs unless offered sexual favours. A disabled woman cannot run from potential rapists and due to her physical weakness, she cannot fight back her attackers. This makes vulnerability among women with disabilities very high. Women with disabilities are innocently infected by HIV/AIDS positive men due to myths and beliefs that having sexual intercourse with virgin disabled women can turn HIV positive men negative!!! A story was told of how a mother in one of the slums in Nairobi brings men to her house to take traditional brews, then asks them to have sexual intercourse with her disabled daughter and then she gets paid for that. This is injustice of the highest order, exposing the innocent girls to HIV/AIDS.
These are just but highlighting of underlying problems faced by women with disabilities in Kenya. This is awake up call and women with disabilities must be included in all future campaigns on violence against women.
For information on women with disabilities you can reach me on my cell phone 0721-405435 or email at [email protected]
Author
Anonymous (not verified)
