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Harmful cultural beliefs and practices, stigma and discrimination towards women and girls with disabilities: a toolkit for change

UNESCO OFFICE HARARE
UNITED NATIONS PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
2020

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This toolkit serves to highlight the intersection between gender, culture and disability. Following the completion of a study titled Advancing the rights of women and girls with disabilities in Zimbabwe, a review of the interface of culture, gender and disability in Zimbabwe, it was evident that there were cultural and social issues not being adequately addressed in communities. 

This toolkit was formulated based on the study findings, dialogue with key disability stakeholders and principles of the CRPD.

The following is a list of the key articles from the CRPD that form the base of this toolkit:

  • Article 3: General principles (8 in total)
  • Article 6: Women with disabilities
  • Article 8: Awareness raising
  • Article 13: Access to justice
  • Article 23: Respect for home and the family
  • Article 25: Health

This toolkit strives to empower the trainer and the trainee(s) on the virtues encapsulated in the CRPD by localizing the concepts at community level in Zimbabwe.

Gender and disability intersectionality in practice: Women and girls with disabilities addressing discrimination and violence in Africa.

ADAMS, Lisa
et al
March 2018

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This new Making It Work report presents 9 good practices successfully addressing the prevention and response to violence and discrimination against women and girls with disabilities in Africa. It also contains key advocacy recommendations that can be used for disability and/or gender advocates in order to further promote the rights of women and girls with disabilities.

The practices were:

  • Gender-Based Violence prevention through a grassroots initiative led by women with disabilities (Rwanda)
  • Protecting urban refugee women and girls with disabilities from abuse and discrimination in Kenya
  • Advancing the access of deafblind women and girls to Sexual and Reproductive Health (Malawi)
  • Enhancing access to justice for GenderBased Violence survivors with intellectual challenges through integrated legal and psychosocial support service provision (Kenya)
  • Developing knowledge and empowerment through the Gender and Disability Inclusive Development Community of Practice (Cameroon)
  • Promoting a safer, Gender-Based Violence free environment for women and girls with disabilities in Lilongwe, Malawi
  • Restoring the dignity of women and girls with disabilities in the Plateau State of Nigeria
  • Forging a district community where women and girls with disabilities live dignified and empowered lives (Uganda)
  • Emerging Practice: Fostering peace and respect by bringing women and girls with disabilities concerns into a women’s organization (Kenya)

Hear my voice: old age and disability are not a curse. A community-based participatory study gathering the lived experiences of persons with disabilities and older people in Tanzania

MRISHO, Mwifadhi
FAKIH, Bakar
GREENWOOD, Margo
STEFF, Marion
2016

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Community based participatory research (CBPR) was used to provide evidence on the specific nature and experiences of persons with disabilities and older people from their own perspectives in Tanzania, through the lens of social, political, economic and cultural inclusion. The aim was to strengthen efforts to provide services for and improve the lives of people living in the rural and urban settings of Nachingwea and Kibaha Urban Municipal Council. Twenty-nine peer researchers (nine persons with disabilities, 10 older people and 10 Tanzanian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) members working in these communities) were involved in the study. A total of 106 stories were collected. Eight priority areas emerged and were chosen by peer researchers for further discussion in groups: access to education and quality learning; access to health services; issues fed back from NGOs; poverty relating to income and dependence; attitudes towards witchcraft and albinism; relationship difficulties and marriage breakdowns; sexual violence and gender issues; poor treatment from family
 

Integrating multiple gender strategies to improve HIV and AIDS interventions : a compendium of programs in Africa

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN
May 2009

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This report looks at how four specific gender strategies are being used in HIV and AIDS intervention programmes, how they are working, and how people are learning from and sharing their experiences toward strengthening programmes and expanding successes. A number of programmes in 11 African countries, as well as multi-country programmes are examined. The four gender strategies are: - Reducing gender-based violence; - Increasing women‘s legal protection; - Addressing male norms and behaviours, and - Strategies to increase women‘s income and productive resources.

A handbook for network support agents and other community workers supporting HIV prevention, care, support and treatment

March 2009

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This manual is intended to help network support agents and other community workers be more effective in disseminating standardised information about HIV and AIDS. It "...emphasises the importance of the acquisition of knowledge, skills and the right attitude needed to identify the psychosocial needs of people of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and address these needs by giving information, counselling and appropriate referrals. Knowledge of counselling and psychosocial care, is combined as much as possible with prevention activities such as adopting HIV basic care positive prevention and adherence to treatment"

Mainstreaming HIV, AIDS and gender into culture|A community education handbook : part 2

WALLACE-KARENGA, Katrina
March 2009

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This second part of the handbook looks specifically at how culture, gender and HIV are connected. Studies undertaken in sub-Saharan Africa make it clear that certain cultural practices, together with the low status and economic power of women increase women and girl's vulnerability to HIV. It is a resource for community-based volunteers working with communities to mainstream HIV and gender through culture

Joining hands: integrating gender and HIV/AIDS: report of an ACORD project using Stepping Stones in Angola, Tanzania and Uganda

HADJIPATERAS, Angela
et al
July 2007

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This is the report of a two-year project to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls in Africa to HIV and AIDS, using Stepping Stones - a gender-focused participatory process that involves working closely with peer groups. The project's other objectives were to: build the capacity of local structures to respond; promote community responses through effective partnerships and advocacy actions; and find out whether Stepping Stones could be used effectively in unconventional settings with a range of population groups such as the nomadic Mucubai tribe in Southern Angola, internally displaced people living in camps in Northern Uganda, and the 21st Battalion of the Angolan armed forces. Key findings include: improvements in the level of knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS and increased communication around sexual issues and between couples and within communities, across all three countries, as well as an increased sense of community responsibility for HIV and AIDS. In addition there was patchy evidence of stigma reduction and some reduction in risky cultural and sexual practices. Although increased respect for women, including self respect and a reduction in gender violence was also noted, female subordination in decision making and control over resources remains. Stepping Stones was on the whole considered to be adaptable for use in a wide range of contexts although more thought was needed to develop effective strategies to combat obstacles when using this process in some circumstances

The ageing and development report : a summary. Poverty, independence and the world's older people

RANDEL, Judith
GERMAN, Tony
EWING, Deborah
Eds
1999

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This is a summary of a report on the circumstances of older people in developing countries and countries in transition. It has chapters on economic security, health, family and community life, poverty, gender, and emergencies. It also includes information on demographic trends and ageing in specific countries and regions. It is suitable for planners, managers, trainers and students

Speaking freely : HIV social movements . Oral testimony

Panos
Ed

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36 oral testimonies from members of HIV social movements in South Africa and Namibia in which they share their personal stories about HIV, their visions for change and their experiences of participating in social movements. The key themes include identity; motivation for being involved in a movement or support group; representation; gender; and voice.

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