Ethical considerations for disability-inclusive gender-based violence research: Reflections from a South African qualitative case study

ABSTRACT

Globally, women with disabilities experience heightened and unique forms of violence compared to men with disabilities and women without disabilities. Yet formalised guidelines for their inclusion in gender-based violence (GBV) research is lacking. This paper draws on ethical guidelines for researching violence against women, and studies on the ethicality of including people with disabilities in research, to advocate for women with disabilities’ inclusion and safety in GBV research. Reflecting on lessons from a qualitative study on violence against women living with disabilities in South Africa, the paper considers what could be of value for GBV researchers and ethics review committees in low-middle income countries (LMICs). It aims to stimulate debate around the integration of reasonable accommodation, accessibility, and equal participation of women with disabilities in planning and conducting ethical GBV research. The paper recommends that considerations are practically applied and tested in other LMICs, and thereafter critiqued in consultation with a range of stakeholders and women with disabilities, to enhance best practice and form a basis for developing guidelines for undertaking ethical and inclusive GBV research in LMICs.

KEYWORDS:

• Ethics
• inclusive research
• disability
• gender-based violence
• violence against women

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the South African Medical Research Council, disability services and organisations, participants, and research assistant, Siphokazi Gcaza. The first author who was the principal researcher acknowledges the contributions of the co-authors who acted as her PhD supervisors for the study.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Naeemah Abrahams http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6138-6256

Notes

1 Protective workshops are day-programme facilities set up in urban and rural communities by the Department of Social Development. The aim of the workshops is to provide skills building and income-generating opportunities to persons with disabilities whose functionality does not necessitate institutional care but is too severe to qualify for employment. Protective workshops are safe, disability-friendly environments set up in local communities that provide skills building and income-generating opportunities to supplement disability grants. The care facilities were community-based entities providing residential accommodation to disabled adults.

2 The South African governmental disability grant is available to those with certified impairments who are medically unfit to work. At the time of the study participants were receiving US$103 monthly.

Additional information

Funding

This article was funded by the baseline funds of the Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council.