Women of disABILITIES

International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8 each year, serves as a global tribute to the achievements and contributions of women. While acknowledging and supporting women should be a continuous effort, dedicating a specific day to amplify their voices is invaluable. However, one critical yet often overlooked aspect is the advocacy for women with disabilities.

In Pakistan, these women encounter numerous challenges and inequalities that remain underrepresented across various platforms. Even when their struggles are acknowledged and potential solutions are discussed, there is a significant gap in implementing measures that truly empower them.

According to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), in 2021 in Pakistan, 371,833 people registered as “people with special needs”. The data is not gender disaggregated. According to Human Rights Watch, estimates of the number of people living with disabilities in Pakistan wildly vary from 3.3 million to 27 million. As per the records of International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), the data on disabilities projects 65% of the population represents women and This shows that Pakistan has significant population with disabilities and it’s a high time to address issues that pertains there empowerment and mainstreaming, particularly, women.

In today’s modern world where the technology is changing the landscape of advancements, women with disABILITIES are still facing challenges regarding their basic rights like education, health, identity, and accessibility.  While in a conversation with a woman of courage ( a disABLED person)  Saman Kashif, she mentioned that “I passed through many challenges such as identity where people would look down upon me, make me feel incompetent and different, I even had hard time finding jobs. I was fortunate to have a circle of support where my family was responsive enough to get me to the opportunities, but this is not the case with all girls and women in Pakistan who have special needs, they are not even supported by their families”. Saman had a strong will with a solid support from her family, so she went on becoming Pakistan’s first DJ with special needs and was able to secure jobs at international institutions. But as a nation, we need to ask question, if this is and will be the case with all girls and women with disabilities? Are we as nation responsive to have more women like Saman who are independent, empowered, and happy?.

Over the past two decades, Pakistan has made significant progress in recognizing this segment of the population by introducing national identity cards, discounts, healthcare packages, education opportunities, and cash transfer programs. However, these interventions remain limited in scale compared to the overall population in need. Additionally, recent economic challenges have further fragmented these efforts, creating systemic barriers to their expansion. Despite the initiative in place, numerous challenges persist. This piece highlights some of the fundamental difficulties faced by women with special needs.

Safety, women with disabilities are more vulnerable to gender-based violence, including domestic violence, abuse, and exploitation. They are often seen as more dependent and isolated, which increases the likelihood of abuse. Many women may not even have awareness or access to channels to report abuse or to seek protection. Many a time they themselves are not aware of whether it was abuse or exploitation in the form of moral sympathy. Other than this, several research studies quote that access to education is also a major issue. There is a clear lack of infrastructure in our educational institutions, inequities in curriculum and learning resources, limited funding and availability of skilled and trained teachers to manage special education. Moreover, a mindset of investing in education for girls and women with special needs.

To this, Ms Saima Mazhar, ECD National Lead, Aga Khan Education Services shared, Girls and women with disabilities face more challenges to pursue their academic goals first on the bases of their gender and then due to their special needs. The absence of enabling systems and mechanisms of social inclusion including the infrastructure, trained and qualified educators and lack of understanding bars them from growing personally and professionally. It is high time that our policy makers must initiate putting emphasis on analysis of opportunities for larger population from Gender Equity Disabilities Social Inclusion (GEDSI) lense to ensure that no one is left behind, after all education is a basic human right”

The challenges extend beyond safety and education to include healthcare as well. As a developing country, Pakistan lacks adequate healthcare facilities for its entire population, and access is even more limited for individuals with special needs. The lack of resources to perform mass scale health screening, maintaining and regularly checking diseases progression indicators, and providing free of cost services for people with disabilities increases the burden of diseases and low quality of life in this subsect of population. Women in such streams become more vulnerable to health care accessibility. Not just that, women with special needs are limited in healthcare sector decision making. This is further emphasized by Ms.Sanober Nadeem from Aga Khan Health Service Pakistan mentioned “Access to healthcare is a fundamental right for all, regardless of age, gender, or disability. However, women with disabilities are often excluded from healthcare decision-making at both the household and facility levels.

They must be recognized as individuals first, with the right to make their own healthcare choices. Service providers should guide them through available options while respecting their decisions. To ensure inclusivity, healthcare facilities must offer comprehensive care plans, rehabilitation services, assistive devices, and an accessible environment with ramps, braille materials, and wheelchair-friendly spaces”. With health and education, it is also important to provide them with opportunities to become equal part of the workforce, “Women of disABILITIES in times of today should be provided with opportunities for equal skill development, platforms for participation in mainstream workforce and empowering this sector of society is as beneficial as investing in assets, they are our human capital underutilized and nor brought into focus to build country’s economy” as critically emphasized by Dr Saba Shuja from UNICEF Pakistan. This stipulates a clear need to establish an ecosystem approach to support, facilitate, and empower girls and women with special needs that is evidence based and backed by real time data. This big agenda requires a multisectoral approach of integration all minds and services at a platform to scale this and ensure its root level implementation. To this, Ms. Khadija Khan, CEO Pakistan Alliance for Early Childhood advocates the notion of equity by sharing: “Girls and women with disabilities face greater disadvantages in our society, partly because we lack essential data on their population, the nature of their disabilities, and their access to necessary services.

These are critical questions that policymakers must prioritize. Moving forward, I urge our national and provincial governments to take the first step by collecting precise data on this marginalized group, ensuring they receive the support and services they need”. Girls and women with disABILITIES are one of the most vulnerable sects of our society. This is important for the society to recognize and give respect to them and ensure that their mental wellbeing is not compromised. As Waliyah Mughis, Senior Instructor Department of Community Health Sciences, and Brain & Mind Institute, Aga Khan University (AKU) mentioned that “Prioritizing mental well-being, peer support, and representation is crucial as these women are surrounded by unlimited challenges. True empowerment comes from dismantling barriers and embracing equity, not just equality and not leaving behind mental health and wellbeing along with other essential interventions”.

Women with disabilities encounter unique challenges, making their empowerment crucial for a truly inclusive society. Providing accessible education, economic opportunities, and healthcare enhances their independence and dignity. Policies that support assistive technology, workplace inclusion, and legal protections are key to ensuring their full participation in social and economic life. Women, in all capacities, are vital contributors to the workforce, and it is essential to create a safe, equitable, and accessible world for girls and women with disabilities. By empowering them, we uplift not just individuals but society and the nation.

Dr. Shelina Bhamani is a faculty member and leads ECD PREP at Aga Khan University. Imaan Meherali is an intern in the same stream.

The views expressed are personal, and this report does not represent any institutional endorsements.