Gender Equality Zimbabwe Project #33748

Access to SRHR services for disabled women, girls

by Women's Action Group

Summary

The project will create an enabling environment for disabled women and girls in Zimbabwe to access SRHR services. Challenges are that families hide disabled women and girls in their homes because of negative community perceptions on disability. The women and girls experience sexual abuse, fall pregnant and contract STIs due to lack of SRHR information and service. The project will ensure access to SRHR services through engaging with community members, SRHR service providers and policy makers.

$0
total raised

0
donors

0
monthly donors

5
years

Challenge

Disabled women and girls continue to face challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health services. Disability is considered as a curse to the family, as a result disabled women and girls do not enjoy their health rights. There are some myths that encourage men to have sex with disabled women as they believe they can make more money in business. Disabled women are sexually abused resulting in unwanted pregnancies and STIs. Few cases are reported whilst many fail to access SRHR services.

Solution

WAG will provide information on SRHR to women with disabilities. Community awareness on the rights of women and girls will be done for gender transformation. Women and girls will be referred for long term family planning services. Pregnant women will be supported and referred to health centers for management and ante-natal care. Cases of sexual abuse will be referred for emergency medical treatment and the justice system. Disabled women and girls will be supported with wheelchairs.

Long-Term Impact

The project will target 3,000 community members on disability, gender transformative issues and 200 disabled women and girls with SRHR information. The result will be access to SRHR services by disabled women and girls including access to emergency treatment for rape survivors. There will be a reduction in abuse for women and girls with disabilities. Abused women will access justice through referral. There will be attitude change in the way communities care for women and girls with disability.