-Amid abandonment by their partners
BY: Shallon S.Gonlor
NIMBA COUNTY — Like many disabled women In NimbaCounty, Oletha Leamehn, a mother of two children, was abandoned by her husband because of her disability.
She narrated that due to her condition to live her life in wheelchair, she was neglected and thrown away by her children’s father since six years ago. “My name is OlethaLeamehn, I from Loelay. My children and I go to bed with hunger, no food and I can’t afford to provide because of my condition. I was born with a disability when he came and born by me” she said
Prior to her migration to Sanniquellie City, Ms. Oletha Leamehnadded that she including her two kids survived on cracking kernel and eating. The 35-year-old disabled woman is seeking help to send her children to school in order to have a better future.
Oletha is grappling with one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with her legs. Marie Gaye, a mother of four children is a citizen of Zor-Gehyi-Pa, Nimba County District#3. Marie stressed that her life has been on a very painful path, crowing on her kneel in the community during both rainy and dry season in Liberia. She said, she was rescued, transition, and given wheelchair by the Nimba County Coordinator of people with disabilities, Madan Nany Doe.
“First time, I was in Zor-Gehyi-Pa and never had wheelchair. So, our Ma Nany Doe call me to come live in Sanniquellie at the disabled center” Narrating further, Marie said she had four living children but being abandoned by their father as a result of her disability.
She further noted that on numerous occasions, men come overnight, knocking their windows, asking them for sex but have been resisted. Marie is also calling on the Government of Liberia and philosophy to assist them build a special housing unit, adding that they are seriously challenged.
She then concluded that due to lack of food availability, she go to bed with hunger, and face with numerous difficulty in life. Disability is part of being human and is integral to the human experience, but engulfed with hurdles.
Disability comes as a result of the interaction between health conditions such as dementia, blindness or spinal cord injury, and a range of environmental issues.
Women with disabilities face double discrimination, increasing their vulnerability to gender-based violence, sexual abuse, neglect, maltreatment, and exploitation.
Due to the existed quality regarding gender disparities in society, women with disabilities face an array of unbalanced responses towards equality, husband’s abandonment, and lack improved livelihood. Up to now, disabled women decision-making power at home and freedom of movement vary greatly depending on their age, education, and employment status.
Notebly, women with disabilities are completely ignored and left in a pitiful state that the society always downplays their abilities, and as a result, they are not considered a part of the society, and there are not enough opportunities provided for their true realisation.
Accordingly, women with disabilities continue to face significant challenges in obtaining an education and fair treatment to gain access to public funds, appropriate policies and their proper implementation are required. Supporting and encouraging these women full participation in social and public life is required. The opportunities that women with disabilities have are limited by societal misconceptions and stigma.
