On 2 December 2024, Rising Flame, in collaboration with CREA and Women’s Fund Asia, hosted the panel discussion “Shrinking Spaces or Invisible Spaces?” at the 2024 Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) Forum held in Bangkok, Thailand. This session provided a critical platform for women with disabilities and their allies to discuss the intersections of gender, disability, and social justice within the context of shrinking civic spaces, anti-rights movements, and climate change.
The discussion emphasised the systemic invisibilisation of women with disabilities in political, social, and economic spheres. Panellists examined the impact of restrictive laws, climate injustice, and the rollback of rights on women with disabilities and proposed strategies for building more inclusive and representative spaces. The panellists were Pratima Gurung, General Secretary of the Indigenous Person with Disabilities Global Network (IPWDGN); Shamim Salim, a young queer Muslim disabled feminist and human rights activist; Phylis Mbeke, Executive Director of Women Spaces Africa; Nidhi Ashok Goyal, Founder and Executive Director of Rising Flame; and Maria Melinda (Malyn) Ando, Director of Grants Strategy at Women’s Fund Asia. The session was moderated by Ishita Dutta, Program Manager at Voice/Oxfam Novib.
The session began with an introduction by Ishita Dutta, who contextualised the discussion by raising the fundamental question: Have spaces for women with disabilities ever truly existed, or have they always been invisible? She underscored the importance of co-creating spaces that are accessible, representative, and empowering for women with disabilities.
Pratima Gurung highlighted the urgent need for climate action and the role of indigenous women with disabilities in environmental protection. She noted that while climate justice is now widely discussed in advocacy spaces, indigenous women, who safeguard 80% of global biodiversity, continue to be marginalized in climate discussions. She called for greater integration of gender and disability justice within climate policies.
Shamim Salim spoke on the rollback of rights for queer persons with disabilities, particularly in East Africa. She described how religious extremism and anti-homosexuality laws intersect with ableism, leading to increased marginalization. She emphasized the need for intersectional solidarity, highlighting that anti-rights movements threaten all rights, not just those of specific groups. Salim also drew attention to alternative spaces of resistance, such as community gatherings in homes and bars, as crucial sites of safety and activism.
Phylis Mbeke addressed the impact of anti-rights agendas on bodily autonomy and reproductive justice. She explained how misinformation and propaganda are being weaponized to limit access to abortion, sexual rights, and reproductive healthcare, particularly for queer and disabled individuals. She urged human rights defenders to remain steadfast in their advocacy and to challenge restrictive policies through strategic lobbying and awareness campaigns.
Nidhi Ashok Goyal discussed leadership and political participation for women with disabilities, pointing out that they remain severely underrepresented in political decision-making spaces. She highlighted the economic benefits of inclusion, noting that nations lose up to 10% of GDP by failing to integrate marginalized communities. She challenged the notion that accessibility is costly, emphasizing that inclusive design benefits society as a whole.
Maria Melinda (Malyn) Ando focused on resourcing feminist movements and ensuring that women with disabilities have access to funding and leadership opportunities. She emphasized that resourcing is inherently political and called for funding models that prioritize intersectionality, accessibility, and the leadership of disabled women. She shared best practices from Women’s Fund Asia, including flexible and participatory grant-making approaches.
The session concluded with an interactive activity where participants submitted brief statements regarding their individual commitments to disability and gender inclusion. Responses ranged from advocating for accessible policy language to ensuring that feminist movements are truly inclusive of disabled women. The panel highlighted the need for inclusive, intersectional advocacy that prioritises the voices of women with disabilities.