Haiti: the ordeal of disabled women<

In 2009, Haiti ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.But, ten years later, its patina application.Women with disabilities greatly pay the broken pots.Their daily life is always a fight.

Rape, a phenomenon to which disabled women living in Haiti are vulnerable.Géraldine is 24 years old, she has a physical handicap.Raped two years ago, the young woman finally leaves her silence to tell her ordeal.

"I had the feeling that I no longer existed, as if I had lost the essence of myself, it deeply injured me," says Géraldine, evoking the sexual abuses she suffered fromof a man.

Two years after being raped, her file remains closed in the drawers.For good reason, the twenties decides to testify so that the sexual violence that confronts disabled women no longer pass over.

Access to justice for a woman with disabilities, an endless path

Besides multiple obstacles, access to justice for women with disabilities victims of rape is very difficult.The director of the Office of International Lawyers, Me Mario Joseph describes the Haitian state as a human rights, because the right to justice for people with disabilities is not taken into account in Haiti.

"Generally, women victims of rape are subject to all kinds of stigmatizations, some tend to blame victims, and demonstrate them that they are the main responsible for the attacks they have suffered.Others question their habit, their behavior, explains Maître Joseph."Why did you wear this coat?"What were you doing there at this time in this place? ”, Many people try to place the victim in place of the executioner."For deficient women we don't even dare imagine the weight of judgments and stigma"."We quip them," said the lawyer.

Faced with mockery and unnecessary back and forth that the courts require, women with reduced mobility victims of rape are discouraged.Under these conditions, there is only the determination and mental strength of the victim who can help him continue the process.

Although the road is long, and the obstacles are size, the Bai renews its commitments to the community of disabled people.

Access to information remains a major problem

Access to information, an obstacle preventing deaf-mute women from enjoying their right to justice.Taking into account their vulnerabilities, women disabled raped, in particular the category of deaf-mutes, struggle to find the appropriate support that their case requires, explained the communications manager of the association of deaf people of the bishop of Haiti, Oudin Sileus.

"The problem of communication between this group and the rest of the population constitutes a barrier to access to justice for these women victims of rape," he said while considering that public and private institutions should haveat least one employee capable of understanding and interpreting sign language."When deaf women are victims of rape, they are unable to file a complaint and find authorities capable of accompanying them in the justice process required by their case," deplores the interpreter in sign of sign.

La militance des femmes handicapées

Desir Sointe, a commitment model for respecting the rights of women and girls with disabilities.Arrested by stereotypes built around the handicap, for ten years desire supposedly has been a defense of the rights of disabled people in Haiti.Despite the enormous pitfalls encountered, the activist sets out ambitious objectives and says she is perpetually on the war on social discrimination affecting women and girls with disabilities within Haitian society.

Aged thirty seven years old, training diplomat, she has already devoted ten years of her life for the cause of women and girls with disabilities.According to her testimonies, the idea of carrying out this struggle is inspired by the glaring discrimination that she was able to face in her bonus youth, because of her handicap and her sex.Realizing that she was not the only one to undergo as much, she spins her militant costume and defends the disabled women and girls victims of a double stigma.

Une pétition pour dire non à l’exclusion des femmes handicapées dans la politique nationale d’égalité Femmes/Hommes (2014-2034)

The question of human rights violation is an important problem in Haiti.Among the most blatant faults that could be related to this work, it is the marginalization of people with reduced mobility, in particular, women.Even the events of January 12, 2010 which have maximized the quantity of women living with a physical handicap have not made aware of the Haitian authorities to become aware of the great vulnerability of this category really excluded from everything, even from freedom of movement.

Forgotten by the country's decision -makers, this social layer has not gone up.The head in water, they undertake actions whose main objective is to shake up the dead consciousness of the Haitian state.It is in this vein that on the initiative of the Association of Girls and Women in the Sun (AFAS) a petition has been launched recently on [Avazz.ORG Citizen Petitions] to require the integration of women with disabilities in the national women/man equality policy (2014-2034) ratified on March 6, 2015.

Through this petition, the initiators vehemently denounced the lightness of the decision -makers of the State not to take into account in this document disabled women.The initiators intend to make the state understand that women will never be equal to men if we are based on discriminatory concepts that categorize them.The gender equality is fundamental but, first of all the state must understand that being disabled does not mean that one has no more sex.

The leads of this initiative were radical: the integration of the category in question or nothing at all.Besides, they titled their document: Petition for an approach without exclusion and without inequality of women with disabilities in the National Policy of Equality Women/Men (2014-2034).AFAS members have pointed out the laxity of the government which struggles to work in favor of an inclusive society with strong social cohesion.Denouncing this discriminatory policy, they have unreservedly demanded the pure and simple revision of this strategic document articulated around six main orientations, namely: equal law and justice;non -sexist education;access to sexual and reproductive health;measures against violence;economic equality and ultimately egalitarian participation in decision -making bodies.

Cette année, l’UFMORH a tenté l’inédit

At the Marriott Hotel, Friday, April 26, 2019, the Union of Women with reduced mobility in Haiti has shown that aesthetics go beyond the idea that we have of it.People with reduced mobility are capable of everything, their ability to seduce by their talent and their beauty is immense.Unprecedented cultural activity organized by UFMorh is a vibrant example.More than a hundred people (valid and disabled) made the trip to assist the fashion show produced by this organization of women with physical disabilities.

A fashion show to break stereotypes on disability.People with reduced mobility no longer want to be treated in pariah.Through this spectacle, UFMorh has greatly aware of the so -called valid people.Haitian artist Ricky Juste, guest of honor, took the opportunity to make a testimony filled with emotion.He returns to the cause of his current physical handicap.He never imagined himself in the place of a person with reduced mobility, the earthquake of January 12, 2010 therefore marked a turning point in his life."I lost all my fortune, my wife and I am amputated with a leg.This is how I have another conception of life.Being disabled cannot in any way prevent you from making your full potential, quite the contrary, ”he concludes."I am the living example, despite my handicap, I was able to impose my stature on the Haitian music scene," he rejoices.

Des signaux alarmants

The alternative report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, published in 2017 by several OPH including UFMORH, stresses that Haiti does not have precise encrypted data on the population of disabled people, and that theState does not give itself the means through a budget to guarantee the rights of this social layer."The budget of the office of the Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities represents 0.0002% of the national budget and the information relating to the budget allocated to disability in other state positions is not indicated," specifies-he.

This same report reveals, despite the fact that the State adopts laws and conventions relating to compliance with the rights of disabled people (CDPH), they remain a dead letter.

In addition, the conclusion of the report presented at the beginning of December 2019 by the CONAPH (National Coalition of Associations of Persons with Disabilities) around cases of violence and discrimination on people with special needs is overwhelming.Reporting the negative impact of the socio -political crisis - who knew the country this year - on the lives of disabled people, in particular women, it indicates that articles 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10,11, 12.13, 15, 16, 20, 21, 25, 27, 28, 30 of the CDPH, both sustainable development objectives are not respected.

According to a survey conducted in 1998 by the Commission for School Adaptation and Social Support (Casas), out of 120,000 disabled children listed, 2,019 was educated, or 1.7%.According to this same last survey carried out to date, there are 23 schools in Haiti welcoming disabled children, including three (3) public, all operating in Port-au-Prince.

Un bailleur de fonds international à la rescousse des organisations de femmes handicapées

In Haiti, the funds available to support organizations of disabled women are rare.Aware of this state of affairs, the disability Rights Fund (DRF) flies to their aid.

To help organizational structures that campaign in favor of respect for the rights of disabled women to respond to their responsibility, the international organization launches a call for project proposal for them each year."273,000 dollars" is the sum of money allocated for this purpose.

Compared to the challenges that the latter must take up, this sum is very low, but the objectives targeted by DRF want to be promising.

Allow these organizations to acquire experiences in the management of funds to demonstrate to local and international funding sources that they are capable of ensuring the management of any fund to defect the implementation of their respective project,This is what DRF wants.

Based on economic funding, the DRF consultant, Garnier Jo-Ann highlights the need to support organizations of women with needs which are often marginalized and vulnerable.

In addition, Mrs. Garnier is critical of the miserable envelope allocated to the office of the Secretary of State for the integration of disabled people (BSEIPH), while recalling that the cause of disabled women must be everyone's business.All entities, public institutions, particularly at the level of the three powers of the State must get started to correct the differences and consolidate the achievements of the rights of women's associations with disabilities.

Une jeune femme à mobilité réduite raconte comment elle a pu surmonter les stéréotypes construits autour du handicap au sein de la société Haïtienne

Victim of the violent earthquake of January 12, 2010, Junie Samantha Pierre has since amputated with one hand.Unlike other disabled women, she was able to accept herself.However, that does not prevent her from living in repression due to the bad perception of those around her on her handicap.

According to him, his integration into an organization of disabled women has changed his life.

"I had the chance to follow training that helped me find my well-being, despite the rejection of others," she said while adding that she was goingcounts that the enjoyment of her rights as a disabled woman is an achievement conferred by the laws of the Republic.In question, under the weight of stigmatizations, Samantha admits that she no longer bent the spine.

Le leadership des femmes handicapées commence à se faire remarquer

Despite the brakes inclined to stifle the militancy of disabled women, their leadership is starting to see the light of day in Haitian society.However, the head of the progressive women's movement, Mohao Metivier thinks that the fight for respect for their rights is far from won.According to her, some advances have been carried out.Which undergoes that this social category must continue to fight relentlessly for the full enjoyment of its rights and to develop the mentality of Haitians on disability.

Akao Gerson Dominique

Co-authors: Daniel Sévère, Shelsa Philius and Yolande Day.

Photos & vidéos: Jefferson Jean Pierre

NB: The name of the rape victim has been changed