Nexus of Gender and Disability: An Intersectional Study on Shaping Lives of University Students

Abstract

The current study attempted to explore the intersection of gender and disability in university students. It was observed that how the nexus of gender and disability shapes lives. Disability poses many problems for each individual. However, in the context of Pakistani society, the intersection of disability with gender is not explored much. The purpose of this research was to understand the differences between girls and boys as they face disability. This was a qualitative study. The students of public and private sector universities of Lahore were interviewed in this phenomenological study. A total number of eight (8) students including 4 male and 4 female students with physical and visual disability were interviewed. The gender differences were examined through qualitative thematic content analysis. The findings showed that disability tends to effect the social inclusion of the people with special needs. The nexus of disability and gender marginalize women more as compared to men. Women lose confidence which, in turn, impacts their emotional and psychological well-being. The current study is one of the very few researches which explored the intersection of gender and disability among the university students of Lahore, Pakistan. On the basis of the findings, future research could be conducted on a bigger population and with different research designs. Additionally, this study is a step in the direction of raising awareness regarding the added issues faced by girls and women with disabilities.