Disability is not Inability

:: WOMEN WITH DISABILITY HAVE A RIGHT TO NORMAL LIVELIHOODS

The International day of women, 8 March, which it goes until end of March, gives the opportunity to the women with disabilities to celebrate. It is also our day and we need to express our thoughts about life issue of this society.

My main purpose in this Web site comments is to argue that a woman with disability are also a human being, whatever a degree of her handicap, she is a complete woman as any woman in the world. She can enjoy marriage like any other woman.

Nobody, should ignore that in any of part of the world; In many parts of the World, people with disabilities are victims of human rights violations daily. The issue becomes alarming when we talking about women with disabilities (blindness, lameness, paraplegia, deafness, etc). As a woman it pain me alot.

From my educational and ministerial experience as woman with disability I have realized that in the world in general, especially in Africa, women with disabilities are suffering from inferiority complex, which can lead to frustration, rejection and rebellion (against self, family, society and God) and be reflected in their misconducts.

I have noticed that there are several reasons that make women with disabilities like this.As many people think, It is Not a waste to educate a woman with disabilities. We must put in place measures that empower them. We need only to find out what the education is for.

Many either believe that women with physical challenge are sexually impotent and therefore cannot be a married. And yet when they find an opportunity and get married they are treated with much stigma because of their disability. Marriage is many a time very challenging for a woman with physical disability.


I believe much can be done to improve the condition of women with disabilities. More and quality education is key to opening more life opportunites to improve our life.

Rev. Micheline Kamba
Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network/Central Africa
Consultant. And PHD Student in Kwazulu Natal University
Pietermaritzburg/South Africa
michelinekam@yahoo.fr
Tel. 0027 721570762