The Hidden Victims: Understanding Gender-Based Violence in Disabled Communities

A Personal Experience

As I reflect on my childhood, one particular experience stands out in my mind. A girl named Mmesoma, one of our neighbour’s kids had speech impairment that made it difficult for her to communicate effectively. Then, I didn’t know what gender-based violence or abuse was but I witnessed firsthand how other kids in the neighbourhood would often mock and tease Mmesoma, taking advantage of her vulnerability. They would intentionally step on her toes and laugh at her attempts to express herself. It was clear that their actions were causing her pain and discomfort. When the ridicule became unbearable, Mmesoma resolved to isolation as her coping mechanism.

This kind of behaviour is not limited to physical interactions. Online, disabled people, especially women and girls are also subjected to emotional and sexual abuse. When they post on their TikTok accounts, more than 90% of the comments are abuse, mostly in the form of mockery. These individuals are constantly pierced and broken by the words of netizens who see themselves as more complete individuals. Sadly, netizens enjoy making fun of disabled people without thinking about the consequences of their words and actions.

Understanding Gender-Based Violence

To address this issue, we need to understand the meaning of gender-based violence, disabled communities, and gender-based violence in disabled communities.

  1. Gender-Based Violence (GBV): This refers to violence directed at an individual based on their gender identity. This can include physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual violence.
  2. Disabled Communities: This refers to groups of individuals who share experiences, challenges, and identities related to physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental health disabilities. These communities may include people with various types of disabilities, such as mobility impairments, speech, visual or hearing impairments, and intellectual and other types of disabilities.
  3. Gender-Based Violence in Disabled Communities: This refers to the intersectional experiences of violence and abuse that individuals with disabilities face due to their gender identity. Gender-based violence can take place in various forms, which include: Emotional violence (29.40%), physical violence (25.87%), and sexual violence (18.75%).

Some Alarming Statistics

Research indicates that women with disabilities are 1.5 to 10 times more likely to experience violence, discrimination, and neglect than women without disabilities. In Nigeria, over 25 million people live with disabilities, with more than half being women. Shockingly, 73.1% of these women experienced gender-based violence, with 46.1% experiencing it in the last 12 months.

The Consequences

Gender-based violence among women with disabilities can lead to anxiety, depression, unwanted pregnancy, abortion, HIV/AIDS, and STIs, resulting in significant socioeconomic consequences. Gender-based violence affects not just individuals but also the economy of our country, Nigeria. No country can thrive when the majority of its citizens are being abused, and to achieve a safe, sustainable, progressive, and inclusive community, we must address this issue of GBV in disabled communities.

To do this, we must:

  • Encourage individuals in disability communities to stand up for themselves, knowing that disability is not a limitation, and we also need to let them know that we’re all complete human beings regardless of their disabilities.
  • Promote education and economic empowerment for disabled people and enact and enforce laws that protect their rights. These individuals are often excluded from education and economic activities due to inadequate infrastructure and lack of accessibility.
  • We must understand that this abuse and lack of inclusion have pushed a lot of disabled people into depression and suicide as well, so we must stop intentionally stepping on their toes just like the neighbours’ kids did to Mmesoma. We also need to stop attacking and harassing them online with our comments; we should understand that these harsh words thrown at them do get to them and, in turn, reduce their self-esteem.

Conclusion

Gender-based violence in disabled communities is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. With our collective effort, we can create a society that values and includes individuals with disabilities, rather than mocking and abusing them. By recognizing that every individual, regardless of their abilities, deserves respect, dignity, and equal opportunities, we can work towards a more inclusive and compassionate society. To achieve this, the Nigerian government needs to prioritize the needs of disabled people and develop policies and programs to address GBV in disabled communities because investing in them can enhance GDP and reduce poverty.

Victor Onyekwelu

References

Definition of Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

  • United Nations (UN) declarations and resolutions
  • World Health Organization (WHO) reports and guidelines
  • International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) publications

Definition of Disabled Communities

  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
  • World Health Organization (WHO) reports and guidelines
  • Disability rights organizations and advocacy groups

Definition of Gender-Based Violence in Disabled Communities

  • Research studies and academic articles on the intersection of disability and gender-based violence
  • Reports and guidelines from organizations working on disability and gender issues, such as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the International Disability Alliance (IDA)