Persons with disabilities in Kasese have expressed concern about a disturbing rise in sexual abuse against girls and women within their community.
Mark Samwanza, the PWDs representative on the NRM structure in Nyamwamba Division, Kasese municipality, attributes this increase to harmful myths linking PWDs to blessings and healing powers for HIV/AIDS.
He emphasized that these misconceptions have contributed to the rising sexual exploitation and abuse of PWDs in the area.
“Either most of the time, people say if you use a PWD person, she has a blessing, but you wonder why those without disability want to use the disabled, but when we marry them, people begin to talk,” Samwanza noted
Samwanza is also concerned that despite their outcry for an inclusive environment, there has not been much push from top leadership to improve their living conditions.
He, for example, states that several public buildings remain inaccessible to some PWDs.
Rebecca Biira, a resident of Nyamwamba Division and a PWD herself, shared her ordeal, narrating how PWDs are often mistreated and abandoned by their husbands, leaving them burdened with responsibilities they cannot easily handle.
She recounts that during the Covid-19 lockdown, female PWDs were more abused in different forms
Biira notes Jennifer Kabugho, who lost her left leg in an accident in 2021, says there is re significant gap in PWD’s participation and representation, notably regarding laws and policies. He demands that those seeking leaders to include PWDs in sexual and reproductive health rights discussions, noting that they have been overlooked.
SP Thomas Kamusiime Thomas, the Rwenzori East Police Community Liaison Officer, calls on community members to respect the rights of PWDs.
Though there are no proper records on the number of PWDs sexually abused, Kamusime explains that they have entered some of these cases, and offenders have been sent to courts of law.
In response to the escalating problem, the Africa Disability Youth Network has launched a ten-month program aimed at strengthening community efforts to combat childhood sexual violence and promote disability inclusion.
The initiative seeks to sensitize communities across Kasese on issues of abuse and the importance of protecting PWDs from exploitation.
Masereka Mohammad, CEO of the Africa Disability Youth Network, appealed to the public to cooperate fully by providing crucial information about abuse cases.
According to UBOS, an estimated 12 percent of the population lives with disabilities, with the majority of these being women living in rural areas.
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