BY VANESSA GONYE Disabled women, especially in rural set ups, aspiring to take up leadership positions are facing a double blow to their ambitions. Barbra Nyangairi, Deaf Zimbabwe Trust executive director, said women with disabilities face double the challenges in politics than women without disabilities face. She said women with disabilities, even within political parties and as voters, are not visible and there is a need to start from households to appreciate women with disabilities. “Women with disabilities are less likely to receive quality education which also acts as a barrier,” Nyagairi said. “They are not exposed to leadership positions in their communities. They suffer from stigma and marginalisation just generally the negative attitudes towards women with disabilities, more so for them to take up leadership positions.” Deaf Zimbabwe Trust is working on a combined project, “with Women Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (Walpe) in Mutasa, providing awareness to communities about disability, also strengthening the capacity of women with disabilities in leadership so that they can understand leadership.” “We are also working with communities to also give a chance to women with disabilities to lead in community spaces such as schools development committees, Ward Development Committees, among others,” Nyangairi said. Speaking to NewsDay Weekender on condition of anonymity, one aspiring disabled woman politician from Lower Gweru said they normally face barriers in their bid to take part in politics and leadership. “Women with disabilities in the rural communities lack exposure and access to education. They are ruled by the patriarchal system to the core therefore they regard politics as being the men’s playing field just like they regarded ‘dare’ traditional council as mainly for men,’ the source said. She said they also lack knowledge of their rights to participate in the political arena. “Most women with disabilities in the rural areas are overshadowed by cultural beliefs regarding their various conditions therefore they tend to shy away from the public eye,” she said. Article 6(1) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognises that women with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination and requires that State parties take measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by women with disabilities of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Federation of Organisations of Disabled People in Zimbabwe (FODPZ) national coordinator, Elisa Ravengai said stigma, discrimination, invisibility and marginalisation, unequal opportunities, uneven playing field and negative perceptions are the other factors standing in the way of aspiring women with disabilities. She said absence of a progressive legislation and policy that is inclusive as well as various barriers discourage and disempower them to enter this male dominated domain. Ravengai said they make efforts to amend this and encourage more women with disabilities to carry on with their ambitions. “We lobby and advocat