The assessment of policy regulating the welfare of women living with disability: the case study of Nkandla Municipality.
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Date
2021
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Abstract
People living with disabilities, particularly women, find themselves mainly ignored and
neglected when it comes to policy inclusion and gender mainstreaming in public and private
sectors and society in general. Through the efforts made by the national government of South
Africa to advance the rights of women living with a disability, there has been a gap in the
implementation of these policies at the local level. Hence, the challenges of women living with
disabilities are more noticeable in rural areas than in urban areas. In rural areas, women living
with disabilities deal with limited resources and services and attitudinal and environmental
factors. These challenges limit their participation and inclusion in matters determining the
welfare of their lives. In most rural areas of developing regions, women living with disabilities
have a greater extent of limited agility, access to health, employment, formal education,
awareness, and access to information about their rights. In developing regions, many
communities discriminate, dehumanize, ridicule, and exclude women living with disabilities,
due to pervasive societal practices and norms which perceive people living with disability
negatively. Being a woman with a disability from a low-income family often fuels hate and
various forms of discrimination towards that person. This qualitative study assesses policies
guiding or regulating the welfare of rural women living with disabilities to enjoy their
fundamental rights and freedom. This study is delimited to studying the women living with
disabilities in Nkandla Local Municipality. Utilizing a qualitative research design, data were
collected through semi-structured interviews with state actors, special needs teachers, NPOs,
and ordinary citizens of the Nkandla Local Municipality in disability welfare and policy
assessment. Augmented by extensive literature and policy reviews, the research findings reveal
that the majority of women living with a disability are not aware of their rights. The research
is guided by the Feminist Disability Theory, policy implementation, and Stakeholder Theory.
The interpretations of disability by the Feminist Disability Theory are beyond the impaired
body parts of a person. Instead, it views disability as a broader attitudinal and environmental
barrier that hinders women's functioning with impaired body parts. It is followed by policy
implementation, which is immensely contextual. It determines upon economic, social, political,
attitudinal, and organizational factors that impact how poorly and how good a program or
policy has been implemented. Lastly, the theory that serves as the foundation of this study is
the stakeholder theory that encourages effective, efficient, ethical, and practical ways to handle
an organization in a multifaceted and explosive environment. The Stakeholder Theory responds
to a need that emerges from PWD and their families and non-disabled people who have to
interact with disabled individuals with special needs daily. Additionally, the study recommends
that there should be a demonstration of political will by the government and must increase
budgets for institutions that implement disability issues. The resourcing of these institutions
allows them to execute their mandate effectively and ensures the progressive realization of
women with disabilities rights. These efforts should include creating a vibrant disability fund
to ensure reliable disbursements of grants to people with disabilities, including women with
disabilities in rural areas.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.