By Alieu Jallow
A leading voice in The Gambia’s disability community has raised serious concerns over the alleged continued marginalisation and abuse of persons with disabilities, especially women and girls facing gender-based violence (GBV).
Isatou Sanyang, a staff member of the Gambia Association for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (GADHOH), said many persons with disabilities suffer in silence due to stigma, lack of support, and dismissive attitudes from society, even within their own families.
Speaking to The Fatu Network at a consultation meeting aimed at identifying barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing GBV support services, organised by the Network Against Gender-Based Violence, Sanyang explained that survivors with disabilities often face double discrimination. She noted that they endure violence from those who fail to respect their disabilities, and that families often discourage victims from reporting abuse.
“Most of the time, our parents will always blame us for trying to report to the police station or the courts because they tend to talk about the family relations they have within the society. So, they prefer to discuss it at home rather than report these cases to the police. Some men commit violence against women with disabilities, women who have never done anything wrong to their husbands, yet they still decide to abuse them,” she said.
Sanyang further highlighted the plight of women with disabilities, stressing that many are mothers who, because of marital bonds and concern for their children’s well-being, should never be subjected to such abuse.
“Someone cannot be beaten continuously and receive all sorts of insults. This is not fair, and it is something we should not tolerate. We should always make sure that we act against this very bad attitude towards women and girls with disabilities,” she added.
Her call for inclusion and protection comes amid growing national efforts to tackle gender-based violence. However, activists warn that these initiatives will remain incomplete if they fail to meaningfully involve persons with disabilities and address their unique challenges.
