Women with Disabilities Speak out Against Exclusion at ICPD25

Jeffrey Jordan/ President of the Population Reference Bureau with ICPD25 participants. Credit: Joyce Chimbi / IPSBy Joyce ChimbiNAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 13 2019 (IPS) One in five women globally lives with a disability even as they have same needs and interests as women without disabilities, their access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights remains severely limited. Delegates representing people living with disabilities at the ICPD25 Conference painted a grim picture of barriers and challenges they face. “We are perceived to be asexual and therefore offering us reproductive health information is considered wasteful,” says Josephta Mukobe, principal secretary of the Kenya’s Ministry of Culture and Sports. Motherhood remains taboo for differently abled women Mukobe says motherhood for them is taboo, and that a pregnant woman with a disability is a phenomenon to be pitied, even ridiculed by society. “We cannot enjoy pregnancy because people look at us and wonder what poor beast this is with a disability. They are even shocked that you even have sexual organs,” she expounds, and adds: “We desire love and active and healthy sexual life to raise a family.” Under international law and multilateral agreements, governments have a responsibility to ensure equal respect, protection and access to sexual and reproductive health, as well as rights for people with disabilities. But this is policy – and a long way to practice. Fighting Exclusions Veronica Nju...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa Conferences Education Featured Gender Gender Violence Headlines Health Human Rights TerraViva United Nations Women's Health ICPD25 Source Type: news