Empowering 500 Rwandan women living with HIV/AIDS

Promoting gender equality and empowerment of women is essential to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 of leaving no one behind. Women and girls with disabilities experience double discrimination, which places them at higher risk of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, neglect, maltreatment and are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDs.

It is against this backdrop that Human Rights First Rwanda Association and other partners ahead of the disability global summit to be held in the UK on the 24^th July 2018 have been bringing the issues of women with disability at the forefront showcasing their plight and asking the Government of Rwanda to consider them as a special group of women and also to change laws to particularly and severely punish people who perpetrate Sexual Gender based violence to them.

A lot of shame and stigma is associated with women who have disability and in case they are raped and contract HIV/AIDS the family or guardians do conceal it and they are not accorded the proper care or Medication.

Like any other person, persons with disabilities require information on HIV/AIDS and access to programmes, services, and resources. The situation of persons with disabilities is further compounded by societal barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society, including access to education. Despite the growing relationship between HIV/AIDS and disability, persons with disabilities have not received sufficient attention within national responses to HIV and AIDS. Furthermore, existing HIV prevention, treatment, care and support programmes generally fail to meet their specific needs.

We hope through our advocacy campaigns and engagements the plight of women with disability who are too vulnerable to contract HIV/AIDs will be realised  

Links:

• organization website

• Women with Disability being attended to (PDF)