Southern Africa: A bad attitude is a disability

Gaborone, 3 December: Today we commemorate International Day of Disability, which also falls during the Sixteen Days of Activism campaign against gender violence. It has become more widely known that women with disabilities are the most vulnerable to abuse and sexual violence, facing double the risk of being survivors of gender violence compared to their non-disabled counterparts. Furthermore, high levels of economic disparity and under- greatly exacerbate women’s vulnerability.

Society continues to stigmatise individuals with disabilities and fails to understand that the real ‘disability’ does not lie with an individual’s impairment, but rather the attitudes and physical barriers within society. These barriers continue to exclude and discriminate against so many people, hindering their access to basic human rights.

Prisca Motshodi Maswabi works for Dinaletsana Developmental Centre in Botswana and is a volunteer at the Down Syndrome Association of Botswana. Maswabi has a powerful message, urging society to change their attitudes, fight discrimination and to empower people with disabilities.

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This podcast is part of the Gender Links News Service Sixteen Days of Activism Special series. Bringing you fresh views on everyday news.