This report is output of a research study conducted in Nakivale refugee settlement with funding support from Finnish Refugee Council. It highlights the challenges that are still holding back refugee women and girls, especially those living in refugee settlements, from realizing and enjoying their rights to health, social, economic, psychological and cultural well-being.
Article 25 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states that persons with disabilities should have the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable health care, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health (SRH), as provided to other persons. Yet, the needs of crisisaffected populations with disabilities are notably absent from global SRH and gender guidelines and standards for humanitarian practice.
To address this gap, the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), the Refugee Law Project (RLP) and other stakeholders undertook a qualitative examination of the specific risks, needs and barriers for Congolese and other refugees with disabilities to accessing SRH services in Kampala, Uganda, as well as their capacities and practical ways to overcome these challenges. The target population of refugees was those with long-term physical, intellectual, sensory and mental impairments who experience barriers in society that hinder their full and effective participation on an equal basis with others.
1st October, marks the 24th commemoration of the United Nations International Day of Older Persons.
Refugee Law project recognizes the contribution of the 6734 older refugees in Uganda(as per UNHCR February 2014) and raises some of the major concerns faced by this group of persons. In Uganda, the Government, UNHCR and other local and international development partners still have a long way to go in achieving this year’s theme of “Leaving No One Behind: Promoting a Society for All”.
Elderly persons, specifically those living in urban centers like Kampala, are amongst the most vulnerable categories of refugees, and still face challenges accessing the basics of life such as food, shelter, clothing, water and medical care.
Kampala, the capital of Uganda has been a habitat for refugees from the great lakes region for several decades. While all refugees suffer the effects of forced migration, female refugees continue to experience exceptional suffering.
In 2013, Refugee Law Project through the Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing Program carried out a study on the psychosocial challenges faced by female refugees in Kampala among 153 women and girls.
Please find the links to both the detailed findings report and the video documentary accompanying this report:
