Lucy Mulombii is the chair of a women-led organisation of people with disabilities and chair of Kakamega County Disability Caucus in rural Kenya.

She is also a small business owner and participated in our inclusive livelihoods project, which is supporting microentrepreneurs with disabilities to develop and grow their businesses.

Lucy’s story

“As a woman with a disability, I have struggled a lot with discrimination. One day I decided enough is enough. I have to start advocating for the rights of other women and girls with disabilities. So I have the spirit. That’s my zeal.

“My work as a grassroots activist involves advocating for the rights of women and girls with disabilities. It starts with mobilising them so we come together and speak with one voice on the issues affecting us.

“I lobby for women and girls with disabilities’ issues to be captured in county government budgets and for our inclusion in public participation and decision-making processes because we believe in nothing for us without us.

“Under the Kenyan Constitution, we have articles that protect the rights of women and girls with disabilities and are very clear on issues of affordable healthcare and accessibility, for example. But unfortunately, the implementation of these policies has been very slow. Part of our work involves pushing the government to apply these policies.

“The organisation I chair tries to awareness about the barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls with disabilities and issues around gender-based violence. Sexual and reproductive health is a human right. But sometimes women and girls with disabilities face discrimination because people think they are not like other women. They forget that they have the right to access information about how they can plan their families and take care of their menstrual health.

“One of the biggest problems with gender-based violence is the lack of available data. We know gender-based violence is experienced more by women and girls with disabilities. However, without the data we can’t convince government to put plans in place to support women and girls with disabilities whose rights have been violated. When organisations try to sensitise young girls and women on issues of gender-based violence, women and girls with disabilities are left out. So it’s difficult for them to even know the correct reporting procedures, or they lack the self-esteem to speak out.”