Women with disabilities take centre stage at CLS international women’s day celebrations
By Nobukhosi Ndlovu
Christian Legal Society and the City of Bulawayo (BCC) commemorated International Women’s Day on Friday by hosting an engagement aimed at amplifying the voices and experiences of women with disabilities, bringing together activists, stakeholders, and community members.
“A lot of women with disabilities do not have access to economic resources,” said the team leader at Christian Legal Society, Mr Matiba, explaining the motivation behind the initiative. “Most of them are left out of emerging business opportunities, hence the decision to create a platform where they could share their concerns and be heard.”
The engagement then created space for dialogue between stakeholders and participants, with discussions exploring the social and economic barriers that continue to affect women with disabilities.
Personal experiences of stigma and exclusion were shared, with many attendees expressing hope that the gathering would mark a shift from past practices that often left them facing double marginalization from the society.
“You have to value the person first, see the woman first,” said one participant, as she clarified the appropriate term when referring to disability. She explained that the correct term is persons with disabilities, rather than persons living with disabilities.
Legal empowerment was also a highlighted part in the programme, with a presentation from the Legal Officer at Christian Legal Society, Ashton Ncube who shed light on property rights.
“Everyone can acquire, hold and dispose of property,” said Ncube during his presentation, opening the floor to a dialogue that pointed out the practical challenges many encounter when attempting to exercise these rights.
Limited livelihood opportunities, inaccessibility of public services, and financial barriers to property ownership were highlighted as major concerns during the engagement.
These challenges, participants noted, continue to strengthen harmful ideas that portray persons with disabilities as dependent or incapable of supporting themselves.
The discussions also brought forward information on tender procedures, economic opportunities, and inclusive public services designed to accommodate different forms of disability.
Participants stressed that concrete strategies and practical measures are needed to empower women with disabilities and improve access to resources and services.
Reflecting on the broader impact of the event, disability activist Precious Faith Ngwenya, who also advocates for individuals living with rare diseases, said stigma remains one of the biggest barriers for this group.
“When it comes to rare diseases, it’s about understanding. The knowledge is not there, instead there are misconceptions both culturally and medically,” she said. “With our current medical system, we still have a long way to go. Only a few doctors understand what autism is, and even fewer understand the concept of rare diseases.” Ngwenya noted.
“The event was successful and we learnt a lot, but there is still a lot that needs to be implemented through action by the council,” Ngwenya added, urging for practical follow-up measures.
This initiative was inspired by the build up of an engagement Christian Legal Society had in September 2025 alongside panelists from the City of Bulawayo where the decision to set up a working group that was to develop a policy paper on disability rights with focus on service delivery was made.
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