WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES FACE 3 TIMES RISK OF SEXUAL ABUSE

By Clive Ayuko

2 Mins Read

Nairobi, Kenya 5th December 2022

Women with various disabilities who number over one billion worldwide according to World Report on Disability 2011 face three or four times the risk of Gender Based Sexual Violence compared to their less disabled counterparts. This Statistic by the UN Women and the World Health Organization was highlighted today afternoon during the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence organized at a Nairobi Hotel by UN Women, Echo Network Africa, Women Mediation Network, Ministry of Public Service and Association of Media Women in Kenya AMWIK.

Defined as an act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is based on gender norms and unequal power relationships; Gender and sexual based violence has become ubiquitous in Kenya and the rest of the world. Under the theme UNITE! Activism to end violence against Women and Girls the meeting highlighted some of the initiatives to be taken to end Gender Based Sexual Violence SGBV especially metted on women with special needs, and these include: Improving the independence of such women through increasing their access to economic activities, creation of disability friendly centres to cater to their needs, raising awareness of their rights and expanding their access to health facilities.

Some of the forms of violence include but not limited to: Female genital mutilation, forced child marriages or early marriages, domestic violence, exclusion from economic and political activities, rape, martial sex, Hospital Genital Mutilation.

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