Introduction

‘Gender Disability and Sexuality’ by All India Confederation of the Blind

‘Gender Disability and Sexuality’ by All India Confederation of the Blind

Nidhi is standing with a large group of young blind women in indoor settings.There is one man visible in the picture and in the background is a big board with multiple photos on it.

The Women’s Committee at the All India Confederation for the Blind organised a training on 4th September 2022 around themes of disability, gender and sexuality in New Delhi. Founder and Executive Director Nidhi Goyal headed the training that had 45  young blind women participants.

Insightful discussions revolved around relationships, consent and societal as well as internalised stigma. The complexities of a gender and disability intersection were brought to the forefront, alongside the impact of gender roles and gendered behaviour in everyday lives. Nidhi spoke about the need to talk about sexuality openly as disabled women are often looked at as desexualised objects, as well as the nuances of navigating romantic and sexual relationships.