Is Having Sex A Privilege For People Living With Disabilities?

On our journey with the WeLead Project, we have discovered loads of information as we interact with the different rights holders. This information has been both enlightening and some of it, outrightly absurd. For this post, let’s talk about sex. It is no surprise that as we address rights, we are often shy to talk about what rights are associated with sex. What does the law say about sex and to whom does this law apply? Well, the inspiration for this post is sadly, the beliefs that our rights holders have about being below the law.

One of the rightsholders in Busiime sub-county narrating her story on GBV with Ms Victo ED Tunaweza Foundation

Under international human rights law, all persons have the right to control and decide freely on matters related to their sexuality; to be free from violence, coercion, or intimidation in their sexual lives; to have access to sexual and reproductive health care information, education, and services; and to be protected from discrimination based on the exercise of their sexuality.

Right Holders of the WELEAD Project attending a workshop facilitated by Tunaweza’s project officer, Ms Aisha

Now here is the problem, particularly with some women living with disabilities that the project has interacted with, there has been a consistent pattern of thinking that sex is a privilege no matter how it happens. This mindset has seen crimes go unpunished or at least unreported. The victims are unaware of the difference between rape and consented sex because, to them, it's all sex. Another problem lies with non-disabled people’s perceptions towards having sexual relations with people living with disabilities. It is a concept that is looked at as out of the normal hence it is surrounded by a lot of stigmatisation.

We attribute this mindset to the long overdue need for sensitisation and information dissemination to such key populations and the public at large regarding sexual abuse. It's long overdue for people to think people with disabilities are asexual. This belief has denied many victims justice and blinded law enforcers from taking necessary action.

A rightsholder with a hearing impairment poses for a photo after one of the workshops held in Eastern Uganda

A lot of sensitization is needed to get our people living with disabilities equipped with information that, at this point, is life-saving and life-shaping. They need to know their rights so they can fight for themselves. Picture what power these right holders would have if they knew and understood their rights. We need to help them discover this power by sharing information with them. And by sharing with them, we can understand how best to help them. Once again “nothing for us without us” is a very intentional statement under the WeLead project. People living with disabilities need to be involved in every decision that concerns them.