HUMANITARIAN organisation, ActionAid Zimbabwe, has called for affirmative action to stop the continued exclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) from accessing gender-based violence (GBV) services.
In its recently launched research report titled Assessment of the Availability, Acceptability and Affordability of Inclusive and Responsive Gender-Based Violence Essential Services in Zimbabwe, ActionAid said a large part of the PWD community feels that GBV services are not accessible.
“(Some) 55,6% of the PWDs noted that services are not accessible while 44,4% noted that the services are accessible,” read the report.
“Those who stated that the services are not accessible cited barriers such as physical accessibility, especially for those who have physical disabilities and have no assistive devices to make movement easier,” the report read.
The report said the PWDs had also cited inaccessibility of the services to people with hearing impairments who face language barriers.
“In addition, PWDs noted that accessibility to service providers is heavily affected by lack of rails, ramps, pathways and wider door openings for wheelchair users. They noted that these adaptations are not available in most of the public spaces which include hospitals and police stations.” the report read.
Speaking at the Celebrating Women with Disabilities conference last year, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare ministry disability affairs director Christine Peta said people with disabilities, especially women, were being denied their sexual and reproductive health rights, making them vulnerable to mental health challenges.
ActionAid added that service providers were facing language barrier challenges in terms of communicating with PWDs, especially those with hearing impairments.
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“Service providers ... also noted that there is lack of proper infrastructure for people with disabilities including user-friendly toilets with wider door openings, ramps, pathways, rails and wide door openings at the public spaces where people seek services such as counselling,” it said.
In 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the National Disability Policy, which has a section dedicated to the rights of women with disabilities.
