Experiences of gender-based violence among women with disabilities in Lima, Peru

Studies of gender-based violence (GBV) among disabled women are rare and under-funded. They are often methodologically flawed and focus on response rather than understanding. Disability affects about 15% of the global population, with women and those living in poverty being disproportionally affected. People with disabilities are more vulnerable to GBV compared with their peers. Oppression and disempowerment of disabled women means they are less able to speak out and GBV may be normalised, further perpetuating the cycle of violence. In Peru the rate of disability is higher than the global average and there is an embedded history of systematic violence and a high prevalence of GBV, although robust data and research is scarce.

I will use evidence-based participatory and ethnographic methods in Lima, Peru, to examine and understand women with disabilities’ experiences of gender relations, power dynamics and their experiences of GBV.