Dialogue - with local communities rights of the people to find solutions sessions, the double discrimination of women put an end ...
Dialogue - with local communities rights of the people to find solutions sessions, the double discrimination of women put an end with physical disabilities in Senegal live.
A dozen women sitting on discrimination against the National Association of Disabled (ANHM) in Thies, Senegal, after a dialogue session.
"Every day we challenge" visited Absa shares Seye a young woman sitting. "Pregnant women with disabilities face stigma life and many are reluctant to leave during pregnancy."
In Senegal, women with disabilities often face double discrimination, such as women and disability. negative bias means that stigmatized penalized disproportionately and face are particularly vulnerable compared to the rest of the population.
The challenges that by their physical condition makes them particularly vulnerable to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. In 2014, a study of Helite and Handicap International, that 9.3% of disabled Senegalese women reported forced sex during their first sexual encounter.
Sexual and reproductive rights of women and their specific needs during pregnancy rarely spoke. Access to health services is often complicated because the lack of qualified medical staff means that no adequate treatment for his condition to obtain.
Pregnant women with disabilities face stigma and many are reluctant to leave during pregnancy
In response to these challenges that ANHM and Amnesty International Senegal together women with physical disabilities for the dialogue sessions to identify and develop solutions to solve it discrimination.
concern based on discussions participatory members of the local community, the rights-based approach takes place helps to strengthen the knowledge of sexual and reproductive rights and discriminatory in the prevention of treatment in order to strengthen the participation of authorities and health centers.
"Help this meeting to solve the health access problems for pregnant women, the challenges they as mothers in their role in relation to, and issues related to sexuality, for many, this is something we never do talk," Aminata Dieye said coordinator human rights Amnesty international Senegal Education.
"I learned a lot about the sexual and reproductive rights. Through education, we understand the importance of health checks for participation, women with disabilities have special needs are observed during pregnancy. The training has also been a revelation in the sense that I now a married life of the woman, as another woman can imagine, "Absa shares.
Two hundred women participated in dialogue sessions and serve to inform as supporters of other women in their community.
Reaching communities across the country
Based to initiate a change in attitude on this approach, the project is combined with interactive radio programs to reach a broader public beyond the Thies.
Radio Hour in the south and FM from international organizations to increase Best FM welcomed medical experts and experts consciousness with disabilities on the rights of women.
Interviews with legal experts on the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010 Senegal has focused on the legal framework of their rights, to denounce the climate of discrimination still prevails.
"This project has the knowledge of the situation of people integrated with disabilities, the awareness that we are in our families to the community that has been achieved through radio programs. The people have left me also say in the street, that they with the Radio is one and they were all the difficulties are not aware that people with disabilities "Actions Diobe Ndiaye, a young woman's face, who attended the dialogue session.
The same rights for all women
sustained efforts to protect the rights of women with disabilities have led to improvements. Meeting with the local community and the training of medical staff members has proved to be effective to disseminate information, improving access to health centers and the specific obstacles faced by disabled direction.
maternal center in Thies, for example, small changes make a difference says Aby Cisse, who works in the ANHM. A new ramp was installed to better access and Gynecology room downstairs moved so that women easily staff can view more.
The increased visibility provided by the Radio available has also led to the distribution of crutches for the key partners of the association, for the members.
The project, led by Amnesty ANHM and Senegal echoed the implementation of new social measures across the country do people with disabilities, such as to support the equality card distribution - a card that entitles rightsholders of financial benefits, including the full or partial cost of contribution of medical care required.
However, there is still a long way to go before women with disabilities the same rights as other women.
"The new measures, such as equal opportunities, it is card for people who live in extreme poverty required by activating and medical care for accessing But there is still much to do, both in front of and behind them -. These measures are fully effective awareness of the health centers, for example, cardholders really enjoy to ensure the benefits that they are entitled to "..
"This project will also grow, and it is important to involve young people and dialogue meetings with youth organizations hold to prevent the discrimination and changing mentalities" Aminata Dieye said.
In Senegal, the education of women with disabilities is a part of education - Empowerment - Justice Program (HUB), which aims to strengthen the rights of the people and to bring about justice through initiatives contributing Education and Empowerment human rights, with a particular focus on gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls.
