The Invisible Woman: Limits to Achieving Criminal Accountability for Violence against Women with Disabilities in Africa

Johnson, A; Nabaneh, S

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-75953-7_10

The Invisible Woman: Limits to Achieving Criminal Accountability for Violence against Women with Disabilities in Africa

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Adetokunbo (Ade) Johnson ORCiD

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.

Abstract

In this chapter, the question asked is whether African countries can ensure criminal accountability for violence against women with disabilities. For this analysis, the definition of criminal accountability for violence against women with disabilities in Africa rests on the question: Is violence against women with disabilities recognised as a criminal offence in Africa? This question is essential for two reasons. One, without the criminalisation or criminal liability for violence against women with disabilities, criminal prosecution would be difficult if not impossible to achieve. Two, without the criminalisation of violence against women with disabilities, redress and reparations for women with disabilities who are victims of violence in Africa would be almost impossible to achieve. Consequently, this chapter aims to investigate the specific criminal justice responses to violence against women with disabilities undertaken domestically in African countries. It includes the domestic as well as global and regional responses to violence against women with disabilities in Africa. This analysis aims to achieve a two-fold purpose. First, this analysis exposes the limits of criminal justice responses that refuse to acknowledge that interactions and intersections exist between gender and disability. Second, this analysis reveals the importance of developing an intersectional lens to achieve significant criminal accountability, particularly for women with disabilities in Africa. The conclusion that emerges from this analysis demonstrates the need for the development of an intersectional lens in criminal justice systems to ensure greater criminal accountability for violence that women with disabilities face daily in African countries.