Rwanda: Women With Disabilities Violence Study Reveals High Abuse Rates

• A multi-country study, including Rwanda, revealed high levels of violence and underrepresentation in leadership for women and girls with disabilities.
• In Rwanda, 23% of surveyed women and girls with disabilities reported sexual violence in the past year, and 71% noted minimal leadership representation.
• The study recommends ensuring meaningful leadership influence and investing in physical and communicative accessibility for public services like police stations and health facilities.
• It also calls for stronger formal partnerships between women's rights organizations and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) for joint advocacy and accountability.
• Disability rights activists emphasize the need for stronger measures to prevent violence and ensure inclusive protection and support services for women and girls with disabilities.

The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive policy and infrastructure enhancements to address the pervasive violence and systemic exclusion faced by women and girls with disabilities.

A recent multi-country study has brought to light the alarming rates of violence and significant underrepresentation in leadership positions faced by women and girls with disabilities across Rwanda, Kenya, and Malawi. The comprehensive research, titled "Assessing the participation and leadership of women and girls with disabilities in ending violence against women and girls," was a collaborative effort by the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW), Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA), and the Rwandan Organisation of Women with Disabilities (UNABU). Released on Friday, September 25, the study employed a mixed-methods approach, surveying 287 women and girls with disabilities and complementing these findings with focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews.

The study's findings for Rwanda are particularly stark, revealing that 23 percent of surveyed women and girls with disabilities had experienced sexual violence within the preceding 12 months. Beyond sexual violence, the data indicated that 46 percent of respondents in Rwanda reported enduring emotional or psychological violence, while 37 percent had experienced physical violence during the same period. These figures underscore the multiple and overlapping forms of abuse—including physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, financial, and online—that disproportionately affect this demographic, with women aged between 30 and 39 specifically identifying abuse as a major threat.

In addition to the high incidence of violence, the study highlighted a widespread lack of representation for women and girls with disabilities in leadership and decision-making roles. In Rwanda, a significant 71 percent of respondents indicated that women and girls with disabilities held minimal leadership positions. This trend was consistent across the other surveyed nations, with 76 percent in Kenya and 71 percent in Malawi reporting similar levels of exclusion. The findings collectively paint a picture of systemic marginalization that extends beyond personal safety to influence broader societal participation and influence.

In response to these critical findings, the study puts forth a series of urgent recommendations aimed at fostering meaningful inclusion and protection for women and girls with disabilities. A key recommendation emphasizes the necessity of ensuring that these individuals possess genuine influence in leadership, budgeting, agenda-setting, and decision-making processes, moving beyond mere symbolic representation. This calls for a fundamental shift in how their participation is perceived and facilitated within various sectors.

Furthermore, the research advocates for substantial investment in accessibility across essential public services. This includes making police stations, courts, shelters, health facilities, and referral systems physically and communicatively accessible to women and girls with diverse disabilities. Such measures are crucial for ensuring that protection and support services are not only available but also genuinely reachable and usable by those who need them most, directly addressing barriers to disability rights in Rwanda and beyond.

The study also stresses the importance of forging stronger formal partnerships between women's rights organizations and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). These collaborations should be built on joint planning, advocacy efforts, and shared accountability to amplify their collective impact. Moreover, the report urges stakeholders to recognize and resource women and girls with disabilities as leaders and agents of change in their own right, advocating for investment in their knowledge, leadership, and advocacy capacities rather than treating them solely as beneficiaries. Disability rights activists have echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for robust measures to prevent gender-based violence and improve access to inclusive protection and support services.

The comprehensive findings of the Rwanda women with disabilities violence study underscore a pressing need for immediate and concerted action from governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations, and public service providers. The prevalence of sexual, physical, and psychological violence, coupled with significant leadership exclusion, highlights a profound failure to uphold the rights and ensure the safety of a vulnerable population. The COVAW DIWA UNABU study findings serve as a critical benchmark, demanding a re-evaluation of existing policies and practices.

This report carries significant implications for legal and policy frameworks, particularly concerning gender-based violence affecting women with disabilities in Africa. It necessitates that legal professionals advise clients, especially government agencies and public service providers, on the imperative to review and enhance policies and infrastructure. Such enhancements must ensure both physical and communicative accessibility for women with disabilities, aligning with the study's recommendations for improved disability rights in Rwanda and broader legal protection.

The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive policy and infrastructure enhancements to address the pervasive violence and systemic exclusion faced by women and girls with disabilities. Implementing robust measures for preventing gender-based violence and actively promoting women with disabilities leadership in Rwanda is not merely a matter of social justice but a legal and ethical imperative, requiring sustained investment and collaborative efforts to foster an inclusive and equitable society.

Lawyers should advise clients, particularly government agencies, public service providers, and NGOs, on the imperative to review and enhance policies and infrastructure to ensure physical and communicative accessibility for women with disabilities, and to implement robust measures for preventing gender-based violence and promoting their leadership, in line with the study's findings and recommendations for Rwanda.

Source: Based on a recent multi-country study.