Protection International Africa
31st July 2025
As we wind up Disability Pride Month this July, it is a powerful moment to reflect on the resilience and leadership of persons with disabilities—particularly women who are not only breaking barriers but also defending the rights of others. Disability Pride Month celebrates identity, strength, and the rejection of stigma. Yet, for many women with disabilities, pride is not just a celebration—it is an act of defiance against systems that have long silenced them.
Society often perceives disability through a narrow lens—something abnormal that must be corrected, treated, or pitied. Persons with disabilities are rarely seen as capable leaders or active contributors to society. Instead, they are cast as passive recipients of sympathy, with their abilities overshadowed by stereotypes and low expectations. This perception is so deeply ingrained that a person with a visible disability who stands confident, competent, and unapologetically “normal” is often treated as an exception, or worse, as someone out of place.
Now, layer gender roles onto this narrative. Imagine a woman with a disability. In most patriarchal societies, women are already subjected to systemic bias—viewed as weaker, less capable, and expected to remain subservient to men. When a woman challenges these norms by asserting her power, voice, and independence, she often faces intense backlash. For a woman with a disability, this scrutiny is magnified. Her competence is questioned not just because of her gender, but also because of the pervasive belief that disability equates to helplessness.
Add another layer—the role of a human rights defender. Consider a woman with a disability who refuses to remain silent and dares to challenge oppression, advocating not just for her rights but for the rights of others. Human rights defenders everywhere face serious risks—harassment, intimidation, violence—because they disrupt systems of power and privilege. For a woman human rights defender with a disability, these risks are compounded by the intersecting challenges of gender discrimination and ableism. She lives at the crossroads of three identities that society often marginalizes: being a woman, being disabled, and being an activist.
While advocacy for women human rights defenders has gained significant attention in recent years—thanks to feminist movements and international human rights organizations—those with disabilities are still fighting to be seen. Their struggles remain under-documented and underrepresented. Only recently have global and regional studies begun to highlight the unique challenges they face.
Women human rights defenders with disabilities encounter barriers that extend beyond the ordinary struggles of activism. Inaccessible infrastructure—such as venues without ramps or elevators—often locks them out of critical spaces where decisions are made. Exclusionary communication practices, such as the lack of sign language interpretation or braille materials, further silence their voices. Many experience ableism even within the human rights movement, where their contributions are undervalued, and accessibility is treated as an afterthought rather than a fundamental right.
The challenges are not only physical but also deeply systemic. Limited funding and resources make it difficult for defenders with disabilities to sustain their activism, while harmful stereotypes portray them as weak, dependent, or incapable of leadership. For women specifically, these challenges are layered with the threat of gender-based violence, societal perceptions of vulnerability, and cultural norms that discourage women from speaking out or leading movements. All of this creates an environment where their safety, participation, and leadership are constantly at risk.
Yet, despite these formidable barriers, women human rights defenders with disabilities continue to rise. They advocate not only for disability rights but also for broader human rights causes—be it gender equality, environmental justice, or freedom of expression. Their lived experiences offer unique and invaluable perspectives on resilience, inclusion, and intersectionality. They remind the world that human rights cannot be fully realized unless they are inclusive of all identities, including those who live at the intersections of multiple forms of oppression.
What makes their activism so powerful is not just their courage, but their ability to redefine what leadership looks like. By refusing to be silenced, they challenge the very systems that marginalize them. They show that disability is not a weakness but a different lens through which to view strength and determination. Their stories dismantle stereotypes and prove that inclusion is not charity—it is justice.
As we close this Disability Pride Month, let us ensure that our celebration of pride is matched with action. We must intentionally create inclusive spaces, invest in accessible infrastructure, and prioritize the voices of women with disabilities in policymaking and advocacy. Their fight is not only for their own liberation but for the transformation of society itself.
Because when a woman human rights defender with a disability rises, she lifts entire communities with her. Her voice is not just a call for inclusion—it is a demand for justice, equality, and a world where no one is left behind.
Perpetua Senkoro
A Woman Human Rights Defender with a Disability