Women and girls with disabilities are the most affected by climate change because of their multiple and intersecting identities. There is limited data on how climate change affects women and girls with disabilities.
Our interactions with women and girls with disabilities show that climate change increases their risk of SGBV and limits their access to SRH services. During disasters such as drought, caregivers of persons with disabilities in Narok County travel long distances in search of food and grazing land for their pastures.
Women with disabilities are left under the care of relatives and community members who view them as easy targets and often end up sexually abusing them. During the drought season, women and girls with disabilities are easily subjected to FGM and married off since the dowry is seen as a source of income.
Access to SRH services during flooding means that health facilities will hardly conduct health outreaches, yet most women with physical disabilities benefit most from the mobile health clinic because of the mobility challenges.
Strategic interventions:
Awareness raising on what is climate change and its impact on the lives of women and girls with disabilities.
Alternative source of livelihood to mitigate the impact of climate change on women and girls with disabilities
Tree planting to mitigate the impact of climate change.