Personal experiences of disabled women against violence in Zimbabwe and advocacy for change

Violence against women is of major concern in many countries. Violence affects women of all races, ethnic groups and social classes. I will focus on the impact of these problems on poor and low-income black Zimbabwean disabled women. Schaller and Lagergren (1998) established that an alarming 33% to 83% of disabled women, depending on the type of disability and the definition of abuse have experienced some form of violence – far more than the percentage of non-disabled women. The prevalence might be higher when considering the cultural and traditional understanding of disability in most African countries. In this qualitative study I am using purposive sampling to document evidence of abuse among disabled women living in two low-income suburbs in the capital city of Harare in Zimbabwe; namely Hatcliffe and Epworth. I am investigating the incidence of, and factors related to violence against disabled women, utilising a narrative inquiry to document ten in-depth stories of women who have endured any form of violence either from their partners, immediate family members, services providers, or by the community. I am also collecting ten critical incidents from disabled women in order to establish the behaviours and skills necessary for promoting non-violence and conflict resolution strategies for this group. Data will be analysed using content thematic analysis, and the findings will assist in making recommendations to various stakeholders promoting non-violence against women, victims themselves and policy makers; with implications for policy and practice.