Advancing the rights of rural women with disabilities in Zimbabwe: challenges and opportunities for the twenty first century

Abstract

Disability studies largely ignored or neglected the experiences of rural women with disabilities (WWD) in the Global South. This qualitative study documents the challenges faced by Zimbabwean rural WWD in the enjoyment of their fundamental rights and freedoms. Against the backdrop of various global, regional and national efforts to advance WWD’s rights, the study examines possibilities for change. Utilising a phenomenological design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with women and girls with disabilities (WGWD), and semi-structured interviews with state and non-state actors in disability rights. Augmented by observations and extensive literature and policy reviews, the research findings revealed that the majority of rural WWD are not aware of their legal rights and have limited access to productive resources, information, employment, education and food. Rural WWD face mobility challenges and are largely discriminated against in health institutions and excluded from taking part in socioeconomic and political activities. Girls with disabilities in inclusive schools battle against a myriad of attitudinal, environmental and administrative hurdles that limit their academic and social functioning. The results confirm the feminist disability theory’s view that the functioning of WGWD is heavily determined by wider contextual, social, historic and gendered power relations. The findings support recommendations for an urgent alignment of liberal national disability instruments, policies and practices to international human rights norms. The 2013 Constitution effectuates a human rights approach to disability, yet in practice the exclusion of the disabled, rural, female ‘other’ continues unabated. Transformation in this regard must include a restructuring of financial resourcing of various state institutions for advancing disability rights. Various avenues to ensure for effective disability rights mainstreaming, lobbying, advocacy, awareness raising, and capacitation of rural communities are suggested. At the heart of it all is a change in mind-sets to embrace WWD as equal human beings with rights and dignity.

Izifundo zobulwelwe azikhange ziyithathele ngqalelo imeko namava abantu basetyhini abayimilwelwe behlala emaphandleni kumazwe asemaZantsi. Esi sifundo somgangatho sibhala ngemingeni ejongene nabasetyhini abayimilwelwe basemaphandleni eZimbabwe xa befuna ukuxhamla amalungelo nenkululeko eyimfanelo yabo yemveli. Ngokuqwalasela imizamo eliqela yehlabathi jikelele, yezithili neyesizwe ekuphuhliseni amalungelo abasetyhini abayimilwelwe, esi sifundo sivavanya amathuba otshintsho. Ngokusebenzisa uyilo lwezifundo ngokwenzekayo, kwaqokelelwa iinkcukacha zolwazi ngokuqhuba udliwano ndlebe olunzulu namakhosikazi namantomabazana ayimilwelwe, kwaqhutywa nodliwano ndlebe lwemibuzo engenampendulo zithe ngqo (semi structured interviews) nemibutho yoburhulumente nengeyoyoburhulumente esebenza ngamalungelo emilwelwe. Uphando olwalukhatshwa kukuzibonela nokufunda nzulu okubhaliweyo ngemigaqo nkqubo, lwaveza ukuba uninzi lwabasetyhini abayimilwelwe basemaphandleni alwazi nto ngamalungelo alo asemthethweni kwaye alufikeleli ngokwaneleyo kwimithombo eluncedo, ulwazi, imisebenzi, imfundo nokutya. Abasetyhini abayimilwelwe basemaphandleni bajamelene nemingeni yokungakwazi ukuhamba kwaye bayacalucalulwa kakhulu kumaziko ezempilo. Ababandakanywa ekuthatheni inxaxheba kwimisebenzi yezentlalo, uqoqosho nezombuso/upolitiko. Amantombazana ayimilwelwe asezikolweni zikawonkewonke asedabini nemiqobo emininzi yendlela acingelwa ngayo, indawo ewangqongileyo nolawulo, zinto ezo zikuthibazayo ukusebenza kwawo kwezemfundo nasekuhlaleni. Iziphumo zophando ziyangqinelana nengcingane yezifundo zabasetyhini ethi indlela yokwenza izinto yabasetyhini abayimilwelwe ilawulwa ikakhulu lunxulumano lweemeko ezigqubayo, ezentlalo, ezembali nezesini. Iziphumo zophando zixhasa iingcebiso ezithi makukhawuleziswe kwenziwe ungqamano phakathi kwezixhobo, imigaqo nkqubo nemisebenzi yobulwelwe esizweni nezimiselo zamalungelo oluntu kwihlabathi ngokubanzi. UMgaqo Siseko wama-2013 ubeka elubala indlela yokujongana nobulwelwe, kodwa kuyaqhubeka kona ukujongelwa phantsi kwemilwelwe, yabasemaphandleni, yabasetyhini. Inguqu kulo mbandela kufuneka iquke ukuyilwa ngokutsha kwenkxaso mali kumaziko oburhulumente ahlukeneyo ukwenzela ukuba kuqhutyelwe phambili amalungelo emilwelwe. Kucetyiswa ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo zokuqinisekisa amalungelo emilwelwe njengokwenza iinkqubo ezifanelekileyo ezingundoqo, ngokuthethathethana nokuphembelela, ngokwazisa uluntu nokuxhobisa uluntu lwasemaphandleni. Esizikithini sako konke kufuneka utshintsho lwengqondo ukwenzela ukuba bamkelwe abasetyhini abayimilwelwe njengabantu abalingana nabanye benamalungelo nesidima.

Izifundo ezimayelana nokukhubazeka zivame ukunganaki noma ukungabi nandaba nokwenzeka kubantu besifazane abakhubazekile (ama-WWD) abahlala emaphandleni emazweni angakathuthuki ngokwanele (aseGlobal South). Lolu cwaningo olubheka kabanzi imininingwane engamaqiniso luqopha izingqinamba ezikhungethe abesifazane baseZimbabwe abakhubazekile abahlala emaphandleni ngenkathi bethokozela amalungelo abo asemqoka kanye nenkululeko yabo. Phezu kwemizamo eyahlukahlukene yezinga lomhlaba, lezifunda nelikazwelonke, yokuthuthukisa amalungelo abesifazane akhubazekile, lolu cwaningo lubheka amathuba akhona oguquko. Kwasetshenziswa uhlobo lokucwaninga olubheka okuthize ngokuhlola imibono yalabo abake baba sesimweni salokho okucwaningwa ngakho, ngokufaka imibuzo abesifazane kanye namantombazane akhubazekile, kanye nalabo abadlala indima kwezamalungelo abantu abakhubazekile abasebenzela umbuso nabangasebenzeli umbuso. Ngokufakazelwa kakhulu ngokubonakele kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo nenqubomgomo, imiphumela yocwaningo enohlonze iveze ukuthi iningi labesifazane abakhubazekile basemaphandleni abawazi amalungelo abo ezomthetho kanti futhi abafinyeleli ngokuphelele emithonjeni elusizo, kwimininingwane, kwimisebenzi, kwezemfundo kanye nasekudleni. Abesifazane abakhubazekile basemaphandleni babhekana nezingqinamba zokungakwazi ukuhamba kahle kanti futhi bayacwaswa ezikhungweni zezempilo, baphinde banganikwa ithuba lokubamba iqhaza kwezenhlalo-mnotho nezepolitiki. Amantombazane akhubazekile ezikoleni ezamukela zonke izinhlobo zabafundi babhekana nezimo eziningi eziyizingqinamba maqondana nendlela aphathwa ngayo, nesimo sendawo kanye nokwenziwa kwezinto okuba nomkhawulo ekwenzeni kwabo maqondana nezemfundo nezenhlalo. Imiphumela iqinisekisa umbono wenzululwazi elwela abesifazane abakhubazekile wokuthi ukusebenza kwabesifazane abakhubazekile, esikhathini esiningi, kuvame ukuvela ngenxa yengqikithi esabalele yobudlelwano bamandla maqondana nenhlalo, umlando kanye nobulili. Imiphumela yocwaningo yeseka izincomo zokuthi kumele kube khona ukulinganiswa okuphuthumayo kwempahla yokusebenza maqondana nokukhubazeka, izinqubomgomo kanye nezindlela zokusebenza ezingeni likazwelonke kanye nokuvamile ezingeni lomhlaba wonke kokuphathelene namalungelo abantu. UMthethosisekelo wonyaka we-2013 wenza kusebenze indlela yokubheka ukukhubazeka ngeso lamalungelo abantu, kodwa indlela okwenziwa ngayo iqhubeka kakhulu nokubandlulula abesifazane abakhubazekile basemaphandleni. Uguquko, maqondana nalokhu, kumele lufake ukuhlelwa kabusha kosizo lwezimali ezikhungweni ezahlukahlukene zombuso eziqhuba phambili amalungelo aba. Kuhlongozwa izindlela ezahlukahlukene zokuqinisekisa amalungelo abakhubazekile okufaka kukho ukufakwa kwemiphakathi yasemaphandleni ezinhlelweni, ukukhulumisana nayo ukuze ibambe iqhaza, ukuyilwela, ukwenza ukuba iqaphele okwenzekayo kanye nokuyinikeza amandla okwenza. Okuyiyona nto ebaluleke kakhulu, wuguquko ekucabangeni ukuze abesifazane abakhubazekile bathathwe njengabantu abalingana nabanye abanamalungelo nesithunzi.