Outside the Circle of Concern: Gender-Based Violence, Disability, and the Denial of Personhood in South Africa
1
International Relations, School of Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2721
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
This study on Gender Based Violence experienced by women and girls with disabilities is part of a multi-country study, Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development (EDID), this collaborative project between South African and Canadian academics, Epilepsy South Africa, and the South African Disability Alliance draws on a baseline study of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) in South Africa to identify priority areas for intervention and advocacy - GBV being a critically under-researched area.
METHODS:
Phase I of the research convened focus groups with 10–15 women with neurological disabilities in each of four South African provinces (Western Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, and Eastern Cape). Focus groups, lasting 60–90 minutes, were facilitated by trained social workers in relevant local languages (Sesotho, isiXhosa, isiZulu, and Afrikaans). Sessions were audio-recorded, translated, transcribed, thematically coded and analysed using critical discourse analysis.
RESULTS:
The analysis reveals a powerful, multi-layered discourse of systemic vulnerability experienced by women with disabilities in South Africa. At its core, this vulnerability is intersectional, extending beyond experiences of GBV to challenge the very notion of personhood. The intersection of gender and disability positions these women outside the protective sphere of societal concern, with participants describing how these intersecting identities produce an imposed status of non-personhood. Importantly, GBV emerges not only as an interpersonal phenomenon but as a systemic one. Participants’ accounts demonstrate how institutions mandated to provide protection—particularly the police and healthcare systems—frequently fail to act, thereby effectively sanctioning abuse through omission. These institutional failures are a key driver of non-reporting. A further theme is an “economy of silence” that constrains disclosure of violence. Silence is enforced through economic coercion, including threats of familial impoverishment, as well as dependence on abusers for basic care and mobility. These dynamics illustrate how poverty and dependency intersect with disability and gender to undermine women’s fundamental right to safety
This study on Gender Based Violence experienced by women and girls with disabilities is part of a multi-country study, Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development (EDID), this collaborative project between South African and Canadian academics, Epilepsy South Africa, and the South African Disability Alliance draws on a baseline study of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) in South Africa to identify priority areas for intervention and advocacy - GBV being a critically under-researched area.
METHODS:
Phase I of the research convened focus groups with 10–15 women with neurological disabilities in each of four South African provinces (Western Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, and Eastern Cape). Focus groups, lasting 60–90 minutes, were facilitated by trained social workers in relevant local languages (Sesotho, isiXhosa, isiZulu, and Afrikaans). Sessions were audio-recorded, translated, transcribed, thematically coded and analysed using critical discourse analysis.
RESULTS:
The analysis reveals a powerful, multi-layered discourse of systemic vulnerability experienced by women with disabilities in South Africa. At its core, this vulnerability is intersectional, extending beyond experiences of GBV to challenge the very notion of personhood. The intersection of gender and disability positions these women outside the protective sphere of societal concern, with participants describing how these intersecting identities produce an imposed status of non-personhood. Importantly, GBV emerges not only as an interpersonal phenomenon but as a systemic one. Participants’ accounts demonstrate how institutions mandated to provide protection—particularly the police and healthcare systems—frequently fail to act, thereby effectively sanctioning abuse through omission. These institutional failures are a key driver of non-reporting. A further theme is an “economy of silence” that constrains disclosure of violence. Silence is enforced through economic coercion, including threats of familial impoverishment, as well as dependence on abusers for basic care and mobility. These dynamics illustrate how poverty and dependency intersect with disability and gender to undermine women’s fundamental right to safety
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
