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The pandemic has adversely affected the already extremely challenging life of women living with disabilities.  This has been due to the lack of access to real-time information on the pandemic, economy challenges and gender-based violence.

As part of the efforts to address this, the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) women’s forum and regional civil society organisations, stepped up advocacy in support of the disabled in the Great Lakes Region.

This was done through a virtual meeting that was organised recently to look at the impact of Covid-19 on the vulnerable communities, with a special focus on women living with disabilities.

This was all done in line with observance of International Day of Disabled Persons which is celebrated on the December 3, with an aim to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.

The meeting provided an opportunity to gain insight into challenges faced by people with disability, as well as looking at regional responses and social-economic impact of Covid-19 on disabled women.

As a woman with a hearing-impairment, Hyrine Achieng shared her experience, noting that the difficulties that women and girls with disabilities face are both in public and private spheres, especially in attaining access to adequate housing, education, vocational training and employment. 

She noted that they experience double discrimination, which places them at higher risk of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, neglect, maltreatment and exploitation.

Lydia Gachoya, ICGLR women’s forum vice-chairperson, noted that this is why advocacy is needed, for it will help to increase awareness of gains to be derived from integrating persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life in countries in the Great Lakes region.

In terms of communication barriers, persons with disabilities rarely have adequate means of obtaining information on what is happening, especially in the context of this pandemic. 

"They frequently depend on third parties, who may relay vital information too late to people experiencing hearing loss.”

Statistics indicate women and girls with disability are three times more likely to be illiterate, three times more likely to have unmet needs, and twice as likely to be unemployed.  

Yet Covid-19 pandemic measures seem to be practically and strategically oblivious to the needs of the disabled persons, as observed by participants of this meeting.

The case with Rwanda 

Marguerite Mutumwinka, Chairperson of Concertation of Collectives of Women’s Associations in the Great Lakes region (COCAFEM), noted that whereas people living with disabilities face a number of challenges, there has been greater efforts to provide for them an inclusive environment.

"They are encouraged to actively participate in national activities at all levels, their rights are safeguarded and also, policies are in place to ensure infrastructure is compliant to the needs of those living with disabilities,” she said. 

She, however, added that challenges still remain, noting that children affected by Down Syndrome continue to be stigmatised.

Recommendations

Member states were encouraged to revisit their Standard Operating Procedures at country level to see if they comply with the needs of the persons with disability. 

Additionally, it was recommended that there should be joint efforts to build the capacities of people living with disabilities to be economically independent through the provision of targeted funding support for small and medium enterprises.

Civil society organisations were also encouraged to step up community sensitisation for parents of the children with disabilities, to make it easier for their children to be accorded equal opportunities and privileges as other children.