East Africa: Women With Disabilities Face Violence, Exclusion From Leadership - Study

What the report says

A new study on women and girls with disabilities in Rwanda, Kenya and Malawi says they face persistent sexual, physical and psychological violence while also remaining largely absent from leadership and decision-making roles. The findings were reported by The New Times and distributed by AllAfrica, with the study released on Friday, September 25.

The research, titled “Assessing the participation and leadership of women and girls with disabilities in ending violence against women and girls,” was carried out by the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW), Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA) and the Rwandan Organisation of Women with Disabilities (UNABU). It surveyed 287 women and girls with disabilities and also used focus groups and interviews. In Rwanda, 23% of respondents said they had experienced sexual violence in the past year, while 46% reported emotional or psychological abuse and 37% reported physical violence. Comparable patterns were reported in Kenya and Malawi.

The study also found limited representation in leadership: 71% of respondents in Rwanda and Malawi, and 76% in Kenya, said women and girls with disabilities had minimal presence in leadership roles. The report urged stronger accessibility in police stations, courts, shelters, health facilities and referral systems, along with closer partnerships between women’s rights groups and disability organizations.

Disability advocates quoted in the article said women with disabilities are often treated as token participants rather than decision-makers. The broader significance is that the findings point to a gap between violence-prevention efforts and the needs of women with disabilities, especially where services and leadership spaces remain inaccessible.