Intersectional discrimination, gender-based violence, and social participation of women with disabilities in Burkina Faso

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study used in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of women with disabilities in Burkina Faso to explore how discrimination based on gender and disability intersects and influences exposure to violence, as well as the impact of such discrimination on social participation, a theme barely studied in West Africa. The study thematically analysed the narratives of 35 women with disabilities – including mental, physical, auditory and visual – (age range = 15-53), rural and urban that were collected through four focus groups and eight case stories of rape survivors. As presented in the statements of the women surveyed, the combination of stereotypes and prejudices linked to disability and unequal gender relations make these women predominantly vulnerable to gender-based violence, especially sexual violence. This increased vulnerability to sexual assault emphasises the processes of social exclusion these women experience, at all levels of society, which for most of them results in limited social participation. The findings of this study showed the need for policies related to women’s empowerment and inclusion of people with disabilities to adopt an intersectional approach, to better consider the specific issues of women with disabilities.