Assessing Social Response Over Violence Against Disabled Women in Zanzibar

Disabled women in Zanzibar as other disabled women in Africa are engulfed in a number of problems. This study evaluated the social response measures taken by the government and other stakeholders to curb the gender-based violence facing disabled women in Zanzibar. Data for this study were collected using structured interviews and focus group discussions with social welfare officers, representatives of disabled people’s organizations, disabled women and disabled girls. In addition, to data from the interview and focus group discussions, data from relevant documents including acts and policies were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings of the study have revealed that although Zanzibar has designed and implemented some interventions to eliminate gender-based violence, still disabled women and girls were the major victims of gender based violence. The findings further indicated that the interventions aimed to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls with disabilities included policy formulation, enacting laws and providing specific support services to the victims. The research findings have also shown that the challenges facing interventions included lack of collaboration between family members, the police and other legal organs in Zanzibar. The study has concluded that the social response over violence against women and girls with disabilities need to be reinforced by gradually attempting to change the attitude of the society towards women and girls with disabilities. The study has recommended that social workers, social welfare officers, legal and paralegal professionals as well as NGOs should collaborate to eliminate the offence; stern measures should be employed against the perpetrators of gender based violence against women and girls with disabilities