Policy Brief on the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities

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Terms of Reference – Policy Brief on the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities

Introduction

This Ability Trust is a women led non-profit organization that works to advance the rights and inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in Kenya. Our vision is to be a dynamic organization that facilitates the realization of a society in which the rights of women and girls with disabilities are respected and upheld, allowing them to live fully integrated lives politically, economically, and socially.

Background

While sexual and reproductive health and rights may now be more visible on main political agendas globally, regionally and nationally, there has been less meaningful implementation regarding inclusion of women with disabilities. The reality is that women with disabilities face a myriad of challenges in relation to their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Society has disregarded their sexuality and reproductive concerns, aspirations and human rights. Women with disabilities are infantilised and perceived to be asexual. Lack of consent to sexual and reproductive health decision making; disrespect, negative attitudes and biases of medical personnel; violence and abuse towards women and girls with disabilities; accessing services, with facilities that are physically inaccessible and lack measures to make them accessible to various forms of disability. Various forms of control over sexual behavior and reproduction, including coercive and involuntary sterilization, are used.

Furthermore, sexual and reproductive health information and education, including on menstrual health, contraception, pregnancy, safe abortion and other related sexual reproductive health issues, are poorly provided in formats that are inaccessible to women and girls with various disabilities. As a result, women with disabilities have not had equal access to quality sexual and reproductive healthcare. The invisibility of their sexualities puts them in vulnerable conditions, they have more risk to suffer forced sterilization, sexual violence, unplanned pregnancy, among others.

Problem Statement

Most of the barriers that  prevent women with disabilities from enjoying a healthy sexuality are based in cultural stigma and patriarchy social norms. The cultural stigma triggers judgment and unfavorable perceptions to aspects of disability. Negative attitudes towards women with disabilities in addition to invisibility in the society are on the basis of laws, policies, and practices that discriminate against women with disabilities.

Justification

For the last ten years, This Ability has worked on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women with disabilities from different approaches, empowering women and girls with disabilities on their bodily autonomy and promoting safe spaces of discussion on sexuality. Our annual SRHRplusD Festival builds critical mass for advocacy and accountability purposes and aligns with communities of women and girls with disabilities on our agenda for the rights of women and girls with disabilities.

Additionally, Mama Siri our toll free number services provides referral information for women with disabilities who need sexual and reproductive health information and services or are experiencing Gender based Violence. Our Hesabika USSD data collection platform allows persons with disabilities to register themselves and receive access to critical information through periodic Bulk SMS. Through our Skills eLearning platform we have been training healthcare providers on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women with disabilities, from a disability and gender standpoint. Across all our programs, we have realized the need to strengthen evidence to advocate for women and girls with disabilities access to sexual and reproductive health services based on their life experiences and through our work. Our existing data allows us to conclude, there is a need to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights policies for women with disabilities.

Overall Objective:

To develop a policy brief on the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls with disabilities.

Specific Objectives:

  1. Promote conversations on sexual reproductive health and rights of women with disabilities
  2. Develop a policy document based on sexual and reproductive health and rights evidence and lived experiences of women with disabilities 
  3. Facilitate opportunities for dialogue between women with disabilities and the Ministry of Health to present the policy brief at national and county government levels.

Deliverables:

  • Initiate a desk research to collect relevant data for the policy
  • Conduct Focus Groups discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with women with disabilities and key stakeholders
  • Develop a policy brief that provides data and recommendations for the Ministry of Health
  • Facilitate validation meetings with women with disabilities and key stakeholders
  • Incorporate feedback for the final policy document 
  • Develop a PowerPoint Presentation

Responsibilities:

  • Work in partnership with This Ability team to co-create the guide
  • To provide accurate and timely feedback
  • To include This Ability Trust feedback in the report

Requirements:

  • Advanced degree in Social Sciences, Gender or relevant field
  • Proven experience on the development of advocacy documents 
  • Proven experience working in policy design and development
  • Previous experience working with women with disabilities
  • Knowledge of the local Kenyan Context

How to ​​Apply

Please send your expression of interest to consultant@this-ability.org on or before Friday 22nd September 2023. Late applications will be disqualified.

Qualified women with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Exclusion Clauses

  1. This Ability Trust has zero tolerance for corruption and fraud. You are required to go through the anti-bribery policy to get a better understanding of this and the other policies that the Trust’s operations focus on.
  2. This Ability Trust has a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment. The Trust makes available annual sexual harassment prevention and response training for all supervisors, managers, and consultants. You are required to go through the Safeguarding policy
  3. The Trust affirms its established policy of non-discrimination in employment and its commitment to affirmative action in being an equal opportunity employer, particularly in the employment of women with disabilities. 
  4. This Ability Trust reserves the right to offer comparable assignments to those qualified candidates that may not have been selected for this consultancy assignment which they applied for. These offers will be based on the needs of the organisation, appropriateness and relevance to the candidate’s educational backgrounds and work experience. Only those candidates in whose qualifications and experience the Trust has further interest will be contacted for subsequent interviews.

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