Getting a sense: The issues blind women and girls face

For 16 days in November and December we spotlight an issue that’s rife for 365 days: gender-based violence against women and girls. The campaign is observed around the world, and seeks to address and eliminate gender-based violence, and create a safe space for women and girls. 

Global figures estimate that at least one in three women have faced abuse in the form physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence, while studies suggest that the rate at which women in South Africa are killed by intimate partners is five times higher than the global average, and women with disabilities may face up to 10 times more violence than women and girls without disabilities. 

These numbers provide a broad picture of the rate and scale at which women and girls face abuse or are killed, but to understand and actually deal with gender-based violence against women and girls, we need to pay attention to the intersectional issues that women in certain communities face and the stories that they tell. One of these communities is women with disabilities, especially blind women. 

Bongiwe Ndondo, chief executive at Hlanganisa Community Fund, highlighted these pertinent issues at the launch of its book, Mhare, which relays the stories of six blind women who survived abuse. The organisation conducted research and discovered some horrific realities faced by these women survivors with disabilities. 

The risk that blind women face is much higher than women without disabilities, because often, if they are living with their perpetrator, they cannot perceive risk or protect themselves from their perpetrator. They don’t have access to information relating to gender-based violence, or access to police and hospital services, and this hinders their chances of getting help, and in cases where they do get help, their stories are invalidated simply on the basis of being blind. 

The research showed that blind women also face difficulties in society, and are either ostracised or perceived as weak and not able to care for their home, children and family. In addition to this, the research found that women’s sexual rights are also violated; they had heard instances of women being sterilised without their consent out of fear of them giving birth to a disabled child.

Ndondo pointed out that although men perpetrated the violence, women such as mothers-in-law did little to support them. 

Every year, campaigns are launched to find ways to combat gender-based violence: policies and frameworks are developed, strategies are devised and funds are funnelled to organisations that seek to fight gender-based violence. 

The government, for instance, developed the National Strategic Plan on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in 2020 to tackle all forms of violence and abuse against women and children. Some of the key interventions mentioned in the plan include extensive legal reform, support for survivors through the provision of evidence kits at police stations, psychological and social services and support for Thuthuzela and Khuseleka Care Centres, which provide vital services for GBV survivors. 

According to the government website, about R21  billion was budgeted for the implementation of these interventions, including the economic empowerment of women. 

The government subsequently set up a response fund in February 2021 to address the high levels of GBVF. It has so far pledged R150  million to the fund, distributed R69  million and supported at least 110 organisations. 

The thoughts behind the actions are noble, but the argument about nipping the problem in the bud still stands: this means different things for different organisations. For some it’s about educating men and boys about consent and sensitising them to the violations that women face, or working with a number of stakeholders to advance critical conversations around GBV. 

The plans are strategic, but they need to translate to meaningful change. As of the 2022-23 fiscal year, 67  358 women in South Africa were reported as victims of selected contact crimes; this is a decrease compared with the 162  957 cases of GBV cases reported in the 2021-22 fiscal year, according to Statista. 

Again, we can use the statistics to inform the scale of the situation, but there need to be more solutions and structures in place which ensure that above all, women and girls are safe, and survivors of GBV are healing and getting justice, which they rightfully deserve. 

Hlanganisa empowered survivors to tell their stories to support their healing journey. Their stories were of hope and healing, but they were laden with grief and pain, and called for more action. 

Thandile Butana, an activist and development officer at BlindSA, and who is also blind, said blind women living in rural areas are faced with unique problems, and their experiences of abuse are ignored, justified or stigmatised — often by other women. Butana said blind women also struggle to access services because they don’t have transport and, just like any other woman with disabilities, their stories are not believed and they can’t get the help they need. 

“Unfortunately, we will never be able to combat this social ill or scourge of GBV if the women themselves don’t see us as equal to men. That’s very unfortunate. And government is allowing it unfortunately. We can shout as loud as we can because we are a minority in society — but our voice is not being heard,” she said. 

They asked for more targeted and deliberate action for women with disabilities who survived abuse. This could mean more funding for organisations that tackle GBV, providing more accessible services and ways for survivors to get help, and finally, instilling a culture in society where they feel accepted, safe and heard. 

If we want to contribute to change, this is where we can come in to contribute — and not just in these 16 days, but every day. 

Aarti Bhana is at frayintermedia. She is the Canon Collins Trust 2023 Mail & Guardian Scholar.