Sexual violence survivors with disabilities have called for greater support from their families and government agencies in receiving the needed help and bring the perpetrators to book.
According to a survivor, (name withheld) there is a lack of support which extends beyond the authorities, who are meant to help them, to some family members who often downplay their experiences.
“When I first reported my molestation, it was only my mother who believed me. Others cast doubt on my words, leaving me isolated and unprotected,” she shared.
She indicated that such experiences hinder survivors from reporting sexual violence because, “the lack of confidence in reporting becomes an even greater barrier. Who would believe us? Who would take our claims seriously? These questions haunt us, eroding any hope for justice.”
She stressed that the cycle of silence, disbelief, and discrimination perpetuates the suffering of women with disabilities who fall victim to sexual violence.
This was contained in a report on community listening and e-survey on sexual violence in the country.
The survey was undertaken by the Center for Health and research (CEHDAR) as part of a three-year “KASA” initiative. The project seeks to scale up interventions to address and reduce sexual violence and its deep rooted drivers across West Africa especially in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal.
The initiative is by African women’s development Fund (AWDF) in collaboration with Ford Foundation West Africa and open Society initiative For West Africa (OSIWA).
The report thus called for improved advocacy and awareness creation as shedding light on the struggles faced by women with disabilities was crucial in effecting meaningful change.
The survivor indicated that her legal background led her to believe that the involvement of family members was essential, not just in seeking justice but also in educating and empowering the disabled girl child.
“When it comes to us who are deaf, if issues like that happen, I think we should also let our family members know them first,” she expressed, recognizing the importance of familial support in addressing sexual violence.
She recognized the need to unite different stakeholders in the fight against sexual violence as their involvement needed to go beyond mere words.
“What you are doing now is really building our confidence,” she said. “The efforts being made to break the silence and raise awareness were slowly empowering women with disabilities,” she added.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri