WARRAP - In Kuajok, 50 women and men with disabilities came together to share their experiences, concerns, challenges and, perhaps most importantly, hopes for less discrimination and more attention to their special needs.

For many participants, the focus group discussion was a rare opportunity to have their voices heard.

"Our struggle is not limited to disabilities; it’s also about dignity and rights," asserted Mary Achieng, who highlighted accessibility issues, with women finding it hard to enter maternal health care and hygiene facilities. These difficulties, she added, are compounded by a lack of mobility aids and a general feeling of often being excluded from the rest of society.

Unfortunately, progress in addressing the special needs of persons with disabilities is slow. Since a similar discussion was held in 2021, little has improved, according to those in attendance on both occasions.

"We are still fighting for the same basic rights and services," confirmed Deng Biar, a representative of the Kuajok Persons with Disabilities Association.

The step from adopting policies to acting seems as long as ever, then, despite pledges made in South Sudan’s Revitalized Peace Agreement, which stipulates that all public services be inclusive and accessible for all. Stronger enforcement of these provisions, participants said, is desperately needed.

Encouragingly, the event did prompt at least one tangible commitment, with the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare pledging to allocate land for a disability activity centre.

"It is a start, but we need promises to be followed by real action," commented Deng Biar.

The focus group discussion was organized by the Gender Affairs Unit of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, in collaboration with the mentioned state Ministry. It was also a part of the broader and global 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender-based violence, as persons with disabilities are not spared from that scourge, either.