Thematic and comparative initiatives examine in-depth issues and questions separate from the country partnership research projects.
We invite EDID-GHDI members (researchers, civil society organizations, and students) to propose thematic studies or activities that address emerging topics or cross-cutting themes. Those interested in doing thematic research with EDID-GHDI can apply for a thematic initiatives grant.
Following are thematic initiatives that are underway.
Description
Touria Houssam, of the National Institute of Social Action, Morocco, and an EDID-GHDI Affiliate Member, is conducting a thematic study to do exploratory research into the activism of organizations of women with disabilities (OWDs) in Morocco. The project will examine associations that fight/militate/advocate for the rights of women and girls with disabilities in Morocco, and on this basis, run workshops for disabled people’s organizations, women’s organizations, and OWDs to share results and raise awareness of the importance of OWDs in promoting the rights of women with disabilities.
Project Team
- Karen Soldatić, Toronto Metropolitan University
- Naomi Phong, Toronto Metropolitan University
Description
Karen Soldatić and Naomi Phong of Toronto Metropolitan University are undertaking a collaborative and community-engaged research project to identify common threads in the experiences of violence and resistance for women and girls in the four country studies (Haiti, Vietnam, South Africa, and Canada). The study will examine commonalities, shared experiences, and learnings related to the experiences of gender-based violence by women and girls with disabilities.
Women and girls with disabilities globally are more likely to experience violence—and more types of violence—than are women and girls without disabilities. The forms of violence they experience include sexual, physical, financial, and psychological violence; reproductive control; as well as deliberate neglect, medical control, and institutional abuse. Experiences of violence are unique and heightened for women and girls with disabilities who are further marginalized and made invisible by systems of oppression, such as Indigenous, Black, and racialized women with disabilities, women with lived experiences of institutionalization, and women who live with poverty.
This study will map gender and disability-based violence research and actions shared across the four country sites of the EDID-GHDI partnership.
Description
Karen Robinson and Sharlene Cassel of Epilepsy South Africa (Epilepsy SA), an EDID-GHDI partner organization, undertook a thematic study to explore the roles, challenges, and support needs of women caregivers supporting individuals living with epilepsy and neurological disorders. In addition to conducting qualitative interviews, the study used an online carer survey to gather quantitative data on demographics, economic status, caregiving duration, and access to support and training. This combination of survey and interview data allowed the study to triangulate statistical trends with lived experiences, providing a fuller understanding of caregivers’ realities across provinces.
Caregiving for people living with epilepsy and other neurological disorders in South Africa is largely undertaken by women, most of whom are unpaid family members. Despite their crucial role in sustaining health and well-being, these caregivers remain under-recognized in policy and service delivery. Cultural norms continue to define caregiving as a woman’s responsibility, leaving many exposed to economic vulnerability, emotional exhaustion, and social isolation. This study forms part of an ongoing effort by Epilepsy SA to document and understand the lived realities of women caregivers and to inform gender-responsive support interventions at community and policy levels.
Their final report, building on survey findings and follow-up interviews, highlights that caregivers navigate a complex intersection of love, faith, exhaustion, and resilience, often describing caregiving as both a calling and a burden. Their stories underscore the urgent need for structural support systems that recognize unpaid care as both social and economic labour.
Read the EDID-GHDI Research/Thematic Report:
Robinson, K., and Cassel, S. (2026). Survey: The Roles, Needs, and Experiences of Women Caregivers of People with Epilepsy & Neurological Disorders in South Africa [Report]. EDID-GHDI, University of Guelph.
Description
Alice Kathleen Lakwech of the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA Uganda) and Docus Atyeno, with support from the Justice and Reconciliation Project, undertook a thematic study focused on sexual and reproductive health rights for women with disabilities in Northern Uganda.
Northern Uganda is a region marked by extraordinary resilience. While much of the country progressed in development, Northern Uganda endured over two decades of armed conflict, the effects of which are still felt deeply today. As a result of war-related injuries caused by weapons such as guns and landmines, the region is home to a disproportionately high number of persons with disabilities.
Through community engagements, trainings, and sensitization activities, the project brought to light the often hidden and overlooked challenges faced by women with disabilities in relation to their sexual and reproductive health rights. Participants shared experiences of sexual exploitation by partners and other men within their communities, who falsely framed abuse as “assistance.” Others reported being forced into relationships they did not choose, as well as facing discrimination and verbal abuse from healthcare providers, particularly in maternity wards during childbirth.
Many women revealed that, prior to the project, they believed that sexuality, marriage, motherhood, and decision making were not meant for women with disabilities. However, through the knowledge gained and the safe spaces created during the project, these perceptions began to shift. Women started to recognize their rights, voice their experiences, and see themselves as deserving of dignity, autonomy, and respect.
Overall, the voices and lived experiences documented through this project will continue to inform future advocacy efforts aimed at promoting inclusion, advancing dignity, and strengthening the SRHR of women with disabilities in Northern Uganda.
Read the EDID-GHDI Research/Thematic Report:
Lakwech, A. K. (2026). Sensitization and Collaboration with Key Stakeholders on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights for Women with Disabilities in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda. [Report]. EDID-GHDI, University of Guelph
Description
Humanity & Inclusion’s Making It Work: Gender and Disability project (MIW) employs a feminist, intersectional, and anti-ableist rights-based approach, empowering women-led organizations to combat discrimination and violence. MIW and its women-led partner organizations in Benin, namely the Organisation des femmes aveugles du Bénin (OFAB) and the NGO Dédji, conducted a thematic study on the lived experiences of women with disabilities in southern Benin.
Fifty women with disabilities—of varying ages, places of residence, levels of education, and types of disabilities—were interviewed. A special and novel effort was made by OFAB and Dédji to interview 10 women living with intellectual disabilities, in partnership with a local association specializing in supporting them, because women with intellectual disabilities are often excluded and marginalized, even in the disability movement.
Their report on the experiences and realities of women with disabilities in Benin addresses:
- participation (in family life, community life, and civic and political life)
- access to services (health, education, justice)
- economic activity
- rights and GBV
The report also includes some “technical” inserts that OFAB and Dédji are keen to share (on the CRPD, on Benin’s law promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, and on the definition of accessibility and barriers), following discussions with the women interviewed and resource people, in order to raise awareness—among authorities, CSOs, and anyone else reading the report—about these fundamental principles of inclusion.
One section is also dedicated to “the voice of the women investigators”: the women with disabilities who conducted the survey reflect on this unique experience and their new position, which has empowered them, while sharing an element or story that particularly touched or challenged them.
Their report Hear us out! Voices of women with disabilities from Benin (also available in French) is available on the Humanity & Inclusion Canada website.
Description
Irène-Flore Chiewouo Kuetche, an EDID-GHDI Affiliate Member and a member of the Association des Acteurs de Développement, Cameroon, conducted thematic research to analyze the organizational structure of the female and feminist disability movement in Cameroon. Initiated in the early 1990s with the aim of promoting individual and collective liberties, the clustering of people with disabilities into networks and organizations in Cameroon has led to a real change in the representation and consideration of disabilities. The research focused on women’s activism and the political participation of women and girls with disabilities in Cameroon to assess the socioeconomic issues at stake and the impact of their actions on the life experiences of people with disabilities. This included analyzing the involvement of women and girls with disabilities in the overall decision-making process and their participation in the organization and running of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the local level.
This empirical research is part of their ongoing investigations into gender, public policy, and disability in Cameroon. The qualitative work involved a meticulous review of the existing literature as well as gathering data from interviews with a diverse group of people. The study population included leaders of civil society organizations, organizations of people living with disabilities, and organizations of women with disabilities based in Yaounde; and some institutional and organizational authorities (Ministry of Women and Family Promotion, Ministry of Social Affairs, PROMHANDICAM, etc.) directly involved in disability issues.
Outputs from this study include an upcoming academic article focusing on the social movement of women with disabilities in Cameroon and analyzing the evolution, organization, profiles, and impact of their actions; and a short policy brief aimed primarily at women with disabilities and focusing on their leadership, their participation in the social transformation process, and the improvement of the status of women through their involvement in the organization and running of the CSW. When finalized, this report and brief will be posted on the EDID-GHDI website.
Project Team
- Stephen Baranyi, University of Ottawa
- Axel Pueugue Simo, University of Ottawa
Description
This thematic study explored the activism of persons with disabilities, and debates within the movement including organizations of women with disabilities, regarding the utility of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 16 on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. We documented why and how the International Disability Alliance and its partners lobbied for the integration of disability rights in the SDGs, what they gained, and debates within the movement about SDG implementation as it relates to the rights of persons with disabilities. Then, we compared the extent to which the SDGs are used by organizations of persons with disabilities to advance their rights in Canada and Haiti, two contexts selected for their differences. We concluded that, despite important advances at the international level, SDG 16 and other SDGs are rarely used by DPOs and organizations of women with disabilities to advance their rights nationally, but for distinct reasons. In Canada, there are stronger legislative and other levers to advance disability rights at the federal level. In Haiti, where the multidimensional crisis has dramatically constrained DPOs’ ability to do any advocacy since 2021, the SDGs have almost entirely dropped off the national agenda.
Read their analysis in:
Baranyi, S. (2023). Disabled persons organisations’ advocacy for SDG 16+: Levers for change and/or drops in a neo-liberal bucket? In T. Donais, A.D. Edgar, & K. Van Houten (Eds.), Sustainable Development Goal 16 and the Global Governance of Violence: Critical Reflections on the Uncertain Future of Peace (1st ed., pp. 83-100). London: Routledge. (EDID partnership members can request access)
Project Team
- Erin Baines, University of British Columbia (Lead)
- Liliane Pari Umuhoza and Khayria Mansouri, Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) RA
- Fatuma Abiya and Alice Kathleen Lakwech, Law RA
- Docus Atyeno, Ugandan team leader
Description
This EDID-GHDI thematic study examines the unique experiences and challenges faced by women and girls with disabilities in post-conflict contexts and reconstruction in Uganda.
The findings are to inform policymaking, advocate for policies that improve the lives of women with disabilities, raise public awareness, as well as advocate for their increased inclusion in the United Nations Women, Peace and Security Agenda (UNSCR 1325).
The research was carried out in Gulu City, Acholi subregion in northern Uganda between April 2023 and March 2024 by a team of Ugandan and Canadian student researchers in collaboration with the Women’s Advocacy Network: Fatuma Abiya, Docus Atyeno, Liliane Pari Umuhoza, Alice Kathleen Lakwech, and Khayria Mansouri—under the guidance of Professor Erin Baines at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, and Evelyn Amony, Chairperson of the Women’s Advocacy Network in Uganda. The team worked closely with local communities, drawing on the rich knowledge and lived experiences of women with disabilities, to shed light on the continuing impacts of the conflict and their navigation of post-war environments.
According to student researcher Liliane, “We can testify that, despite facing profound hardships, they demonstrate immense resilience. Their courage and strength should inspire all of us to advocate for a more inclusive world where no one is left behind. We hope this research serves as a call to action, highlighting the urgent need for improved policies and greater community awareness around gender, disability, and post-conflict recovery. By providing better support systems, access to services, and opportunities for women with disabilities, we can contribute to their continued empowerment and ensure they thrive in post-war settings.”
As a recent graduate from the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs program, Liliane presented findings at the Research Network for Women, Peace and Security Symposium in Ottawa, Ontario, in 2023. There, she shared insights from working on this project in Uganda, highlighting effective strategies for engaging with communities in post-conflict settings. The Symposium allowed her to connect with other women researchers, activists, and grassroots organizers, creating a space for shared learning and collective empowerment. Alice Kathleen Lakwech, a recent graduate from law school in Uganda, represented the team at the Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development (EDID) conference in South Africa in 2024, where she discussed disability-related challenges based on our research. This experience for her as a young researcher broadened her understanding of disability studies from different global perspectives.
The research and report were made possible with the support of the SSHRC PG partnership Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development-Genre, handicap et développement inclusif (EDID-GHDI); the Research Network on Women, Peace and Security (RN-WPS); the Women’s Advocacy Network (WAN) Uganda; and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, UBC.
Read the EDID-GHDI Research/Thematic Report:
Lakwech, A. K., Fatuma, A., Docus, A., Umuhoza, L. P., Mansouri, K., & Baines, E. (2026). Disability and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda: Learning from experiences in post-conflict northern Uganda. [Report]. EDID-GHDI, University of Guelph.
Read the blog describing Erin Baines’ 2023 research project:
‘I am like a garden that flourishes and grows’: Women with disabilities in conflict and post-conflict settings.
Project Team
- Deborah Stienstra, University of Guelph (Lead)
- Valérie Grand’Maison, University of Guelph
- Laura Pin, University of Guelph
- Erin Rodenburg, University of Guelph
- Kim Garwood, University of Guelph
- Kathryn Reinders, University of Guelph
- Victoria Watt, University of Guelph
- Juliana Luiker, University of Guelph
- Leah Levac, University of Guelph
- Steve Estey, International disability policy expert and Independent consultant
- Jihan Abbas, DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN Canada)
- Sonia Alimi, DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN Canada)
- Benedicta Hughes, University of Guelph
- Bonnie Brayton, DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN Canada)
- Kate Ducak, University of Guelph
Description
The first EDID thematic study examined the impact of COVID-19 and related policies on people with disabilities in Canada, and it explored good or best practices in Canada and internationally. Access the final report and fact sheets.
Thematic and comparative research will examine in-depth issues and questions separate from the country partnership research projects. Partner organizations lead these studies that are closely aligned with their work.
Project Team
- Karen Soldatić, Toronto Metropolitan University (Co-Lead)
- Bonnie Brayton, DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN Canada) (Co-Lead)
- Valérie Grand’Maison, University of Guelph
Description
Women and girls with disabilities globally are more likely to experience violence, and more types of violence, than women and girls without disabilities. The forms of violence they experience include sexual, physical, financial, and psychological violence, reproductive control, as well as deliberate neglect, medical control, and institutional abuse. Experiences of violence are unique and heightened for women and girls with disabilities who are further marginalized and made invisible by systems of oppression, such as Indigenous, Black, and racialized women with disabilities, women with lived experiences of institutionalization, and women who live with poverty.
Testimonies of diverse women and girls with disabilities illustrate that they recognize, survive, and resist the forms of violence in their lives. Many women with disabilities have shared their stories of abuse and trauma to not only expose the systemic nature of violence, but also to highlight the skills and knowledges that they developed to survive and thrive. Very little academic research exists on the ways in which diverse women and girls with disabilities survive and resist the different forms of violence in their lives and this research will address this gap.
The Engendering Disability Inclusive Development (EDID-GHDI) partnership (2020-2027) brings together researchers, decision-makers and civil society organizations from Haiti, South Africa, Vietnam, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uganda, Australia, and Malta. EDID-GHDI aims to: a) uncover, create, and share knowledge about women and girls’ struggles for and progress toward disability-inclusive development, and ask how women and girls with disabilities contribute to discussions of rights and justice; and b) engender disability-inclusive development policies to remove barriers and enable inclusion and participation.
As part of the EDID-GHDI partnership, this collaborative and community-engaged research project will identify common threads in the experiences of violence and resistance for women and girls in the 4 country studies. The study will identify transnational efforts related to resistance and building skills and knowledge.
Project Team
- Erin Baines, University of British Columbia (Lead)
Description
This EDID thematic study will examine the experiences of women and girls with disabilities in post-conflict contexts and reconstruction in Uganda.
Project Team
- Deborah Stienstra, University of Guelph (Lead)
- Valérie Grand’Maison, University of Guelph
- Laura Pin, University of Guelph
- Erin Rodenburg, University of Guelph
- Kim Garwood, University of Guelph
- Kathryn Reinders, University of Guelph
- Victoria Watt, University of Guelph
- Juliana Luiker, University of Guelph
- Leah Levac, University of Guelph
- Steve Estey, Steve Estey, International disability policy expert and Independent consultant
- Jihan Abbas, DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN Canada)
- Sonia Alimi, DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN Canada)
- Benedicta Hughes, University of Guelph
- Bonnie Brayton, DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN Canada)
- Kate Ducak, University of Guelph
Description
The first EDID thematic study examined the impact of COVID-19 and related policies on people with disabilities in Canada, and it explored good or best practices in Canada and internationally. Access the final report and fact sheets.
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Connect with us!
EMAIL: edid-ghdi@uoguelph.ca
TWITTER: @edid-ghdi
INSTAGRAM: @edid_ghdi
MAIL: Live Work Well Research Centre, University of Guelph, Attention: EDID-GHDI, 501 MacKinnon Building, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1