Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-There is urgent need for inclusive action to protect women and persons with disabilities, as existing systems continue to fail the most vulnerable, leaving them exposed to abuse and exclusion, an official said on Tuesday.
In an interview on the sidelines of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) training workshop on Tuesday, district administrator in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Sibongile Khumalo said women and persons with disabilities face heightened risks of gender-based violence due to structural and societal barriers.
According to Human Rights Watch, women and girls with disabilities face three times the risk of physical abuse, and are 2.2 times more likely to experience sexual abuse, compared to non-disabled women and girls.
“Dependence on caregivers, limited mobility, communication barriers, and social isolation foster environments where abuse frequently goes undetected, unreported, or normalized. Tragically, caregivers themselves are often the abusers, trapping survivors and making reporting or escape nearly impossible. This vulnerability is exacerbated by inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure,” Khumalo said.
While acknowledging that referral systems exist to address abuse, Khumalo stressed the urgent need to enhance their accessibility.
“We must ensure sign language interpreters, accessible information, and disability-sensitive service providers are available at every stage of the referral pathway,” she said.
Federation of Disabled Persons representative Johane Marufu reiterated that persons with disabilities remain among the most marginalised in terms of service delivery.
“The barriers they face span five key areas which are attitudinal, communication, systemic, economic, and health-related. This ranges from persistent discrimination and policy gaps to inaccessible public information, high unemployment rates, and health services that fail to accommodate their needs,” he said.
Marufu added that there is need for the government and stakeholders to adopt disability inclusive approaches in policy making, service provision and community awareness.
New Ziana
