RAPED: WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES SHARE ORDEALS

Zambia: On her wheelchair, Taonga Phiri sings her favourite bemba hymn, "Lesa ekachema wandi," which means "The Lord is my Shepherd," and the sorrow and pain in her voice cannot be overlooked.

She was born with paralysed legs and is unable to walk. She is not depressed as a result of her condition because she has lived with it for the past 18 years and accepted her fate. She is depressed because a heinous incident that happened to her three years ago still haunts her.

Taonga, the youngest of her parents' four children, was raped when she was 15 by an unknown man, and the incident not only left her psychologically traumatised but also physically injured. She has a bone injury on her right hip from the process and requires immediate medical attention.

She had travelled with her mother from Lusaka, her hometown, to Chipata, Eastern Province, for a funeral when the incident occurred.

Taonga`s Nightmare

Taonga vividly recalls a man pushing her to the ground and forcing her legs wide open in the backyard of one of the huts, where she was alone.

The rapist, whose face she couldn't recall, told her not to scream and threatened to kill her if she did.

She has never told anyone about the incident until now because she is afraid, particularly of her mother, who she claims is harsh to her.

Her father, who died earlier this year, was the only person she said showed her love and care.

Taonga begs this reporter to help her get rid of the pain on her right hip bone that she has been experiencing since the rape.

`Mr Nice` Turns Rapist

Chipo Siyadindi, 30, of Lusaka's Kuku Township is another victim of sexual violence. She, too, is unable to walk and relies on a traditional wooden wheelchair.

Chipo was 26 years old when she was raped by Lupupa, a man she lived in the same neighbourhood with and who was 'nice' to her.

Chipo discovered she was pregnant a few months later; however, Lupupa rejected the pregnancy when approached, stating that he cannot accept a baby from a "disabled woman."

Saved by a Scream

Prisca Ntalasha's story differs slightly from Taonga and Chipo's.

Prisca, who is 45 years old and uses a wheelchair, narrowly avoided being raped by a family friend.

Prisca is still traumatised by the incident, despite the fact that she was not rapped and that many years have passed.

These three stories represent many girls and women with disabilities who have not only been sexually assaulted but have also suffered in silence.

Thousands of girls and women are raped in Zambia each year, with people with disabilities among the victims.

Luck of Statistics on Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls with Disabilities

Zambia Police's 2021 Annual Gender Based Violence (GBV) Statistical Report shows that at least 3,031 sexual offences against girls and women were reported across the country in 2021.

However, the report does not specify how many of those cases involved girls and women with disabilities.

According to this reporter's findings, national prevalence data on violence against women and girls with disabilities are not available in Zambia, as it is in many other Southern African countries, including Malawi and Botswana.

To back up this, Emmah Kaputo, Rehabilitation and Research Senior Officer at the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD), a quasi-governmental organisation responsible for disability issues, stated in an interview that the agency currently has no data or statistics on sexual violence against girls and women with disabilities, despite receiving reports.

Ms. Kaputo, on the other hand, stated that plans to create a database for such cases are in the works.

Call for Action

Global evidence suggests that the prevalence of violence among people with disabilities is higher than among those without disabilities. This is especially true for women and girls with disabilities, who are subjected to all forms of violence, including gender-based violence (GBV).

According to Bwalya Chilufya, National Coordinator and Activist of the Zambia National Association for Women with Disabilities (ZNADWO), sexual violence against girls and women with disabilities is on the rise in Zambia.

She did observe, however, that most victims do not report because they are stigmatised by the community and, in some cases, the police.

Sexual violence against girls and women with disabilities is undeniably prevalent in Zambia, and the importance of all stakeholders paying close attention to the issue cannot be overstated.

These girls and women are daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers, wives, friends, and, above all, human beings who, like those without disabilities, require protection.