Women with disabilities in leadership: The challenges of patriarchy

abstract

In Africa women with disabilities remain marginalised and struggle to claim their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This focus explores the experiences of women with disabilities in leadership positions in disabled people's organisations (DPOs) in Zimbabwe. A group of eight women leaders with disabilities in DPOs in Harare and Bulawayo were interviewed for the study over a period of three months during 2011. This article focuses on the core themes that emerged. Discussion of their challenges and experiences reveals the complexity of the interface between disability and culture, which created dynamic intersections between patriarchy and the gendered power relations experienced by the participants. Their experiences suggest that patriarchy continues to restrain full participation of women in leadership in DPOs in Zimbabwe, which is consistent with the global trend. Implications for exercising of leadership by women with disabilities who are active in the disability movement are also considered.

Keywords:

• leadership
• gender
• women
• culture
• disability
• Zimbabwe

Acknowledgements

S.M. would like to thank Dr Adelene Africa and Associate Professor Theresa Lorenzo who supervised her during this study while she was a postgraduate student in Disability Studies in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shanaaz Majiet

SHANAAZ MAJIET is a dedicated South African public sector manager and disability, gender and human rights activist. She is passionate about transformational leadership and building capability to lead large-scale institutional change. The scope of her work includes executive leadership and performance coaching and mentoring. Her current focus is on finding improved ways to drive government performance and building the capability of local government institutions. Email: [email protected]

Adelene Africa

ADELENE AFRICA is a clinical psychologist and lecturer in Gender Studies at the University of Cape Town. She has a keen interest in the intersections between gender, race, class, sexuality and disability and integrates this in her undergraduate teaching and postgraduate research. Email: [email protected]