…move to promote SRH and HIV/AIDS justice for survivors applauded by communities
Priscilla Mafa
Institute for Community Development (ICOD) Zimbabwe’s move to promote Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and HIV/AIDS justice for women and girls with disabilities in Gutu, Masvingo rural, Chiredzi, Zaka and Zvishavane districts has been applauded by traditional leaders, women and girls with disabilities in the districts as cases of sexual exploitation and abuse among them continue to escalate.
The organization recently held a series of sensitization meetings as they launched the project in the five districts.
In an interview, ICOD Zim Director Talent Maphosa said the meetings in the districts were meant to change communities’ attitudes, beliefs and cultural norms towards sexuality of women and girls with disabilities and to advocate for disability inclusion and mainstreaming in promoting access to comprehensive SRHR services and products and bodily autonomy by women and girls with disabilities.
“A lot of issues were raised during the sensitization meetings in the districts which included marital rape of women with disabilities. Women and girls with disabilities also lamented that communities have become agents of sexual exploitation and abuse,” Maphosa said.
Community members in Zaka district reiterated that marital rape was common among spouses but they did not consider it an issue worth reporting to authorities as women were expected to consent because in some way they owed their spouses.
Women with disabilities also indicated that they had to submit to whatever treatment or abuse because their spouses considered that had done them a favour by considering to marry them.
ICOD Zim Communications and Advocacy Officer Vongai Tinarwo highlighted that in Gutu, community members reported that women and girls with disabilities (WGWDs) were falling victim to sexual exploitation and abuse as lack of livelihood programmes was causing sexual predators to take advantage because they wanted to ‘taste’ and ‘test’ the sexual abilities of WGWDs.
She went on to say community members in this district expressed their disgruntlement over the way perpetrators were allowed to patronise survivors of sexual abuse while awaiting their trial.
Tinarwo indicated that with marital rape on the rise and sexual exploitation of women and girls with disabilities, the organization was going to establish a dialogue platform with community leaders and members.
“Our aim as we create these dialogue platforms is to provide a platform for community leaders to discuss marital rape and to dialogue on abuse and exploitation of women and girls with disabilities so that they can come up with appropriate solutions,” emphasized Tinarwo.
ICOD Zim’s move to promote women and girls with disabilities SRH and HIV/AIDS justice who have been invisible in all societal spheres and continue to face challenges in accessing SRH, HIV/AIDS and justice services has helped in creating safe spaces for women and girls with disabilities.
