UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

10/25/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/25/2021 14:13

Spotlight Initiative engages community media to raise awareness on GBV and Harmful Practices towards women and girls with disabilities

Within the framework of the European Union funded Spotlight Initiative, the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa in partnership with the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) is conducting a community media engagement on disability inclusion in community-based interventions addressing gender based violence (GBV) and harmful practices (HPs).

ZACRAS, through its network of Community Media and in particular community radio stations is raising awareness on the GBV experiences of women and girls with disabilities in Zimbabwe(link is external). The awareness raising is through further dissemination of the documentary produced by UNESCO during the implementation of Spotlight Phase1 on GBV Experiences of women and girls with disabilities in Zimbabwe as well as other knowledge products that UNESCO has developed.

ZACRAS through Nhimbe FM has supported community members to participate in WhatsApp discussions on the documentary. This has triggered online discussions and comments gathering feedback. Building on the feedback from community members, Nhimbe FM developed a programme on Spotlight Initiative - Disability Inclusion (Community Voices)(link is external). One of the key issues that communities raised was the exclusion and discrimination of persons with disabilities that is rooted in cultural beliefs and traditional practices.

One community member from Buhera indicated, "Traditionally disability is viewed as a taboo and this has resulted in their exclusion in community development initiatives and social services." In addition to this, Mr Makaniwa a Buhera community member gave an example of how community meetings and even health services initiatives often do not take into account the needs of deaf women, as there is no sign language provision at these centres and even the meetings.

Community Radio Harare (Corah) has also engaged Organisations of Persons with Disability to get insights on the needs and experiences of women and girls with disabilities relating to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and GBV. Corah has developed a programme, Disability Constituency/ Bandiko Revaneurema(link is external), which engages persons with disabilities, and OPDs in Harare on various issues relating to the plight of women and girls with disabilities.

One of the interventions that UNESCO undertook during the Spotlight Initiative Phase 1 was to engage community leaders and local authorities on disability inclusion as well as sensitize them on GBV and harmful practices that women and girls with disabilities face. Following this, Nhimbe FM has also been engaging community leaders to get an appreciation of their understanding of disability inclusion and the efforts that they are making to also include persons with disabilities in their community initiatives.

Speaking in an interview on Spotlight Initiative - Disability Inclusion (Community Voices)(link is external)Councillor Kwesha indicated that most public buildings in their community are not accessible and that persons with disabilities are also failing to access health services due to institutional barriers. He expressed his desire as a local authority to also see a community where persons with disabilities fully participate and enjoy their rights.