Femmes, genre et politique

N11(d) - Disability, Gender, and Inclusive Development: The Next Generation (Part 1)

Date: Jun 3 | Heure: 10:15am to 11:45am | Salle:

Chair/Président/Présidente : Deborah Stienstra (University of Guelph)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : David R. Black (Dalhousie University)

These two panels of early career researchers will explore the next generation of research and scholarship at the intersections of gender, disability, and inclusive development. The two panels will engage with key questions of rights and justice for women and girls with disabilities; barriers and facilitators to involving people with disabilities in societies; data and policy gaps and opportunities; and the involvement and leadership of people with disabilities in building more inclusive global development and societies. Their research leads the way in asking important questions of more traditional political science and international development scholarship and offers alternative ways of thinking about the implications of inclusion in policies and practices. All panelists have contributed to the Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development – Genre, handicap, et développement inclusif (EDID-GHDI) partnership whose goals are to uncover, co-create, and share knowledge about the challenges and progress of women and girls with disabilities and to promote development policies that reduce barriers and foster inclusion and participation.

Disrupting Power Dynamics through Research Participation with Women and Girls with Disabilities in Vietnam: Hoa Bui (Carleton University)
Abstract: Despite advances in Vietnam’s legal framework on disability, such as the 2010 Law on Persons with Disabilities and the country’s ratification of the CRPD, women and girls with disabilities remain marginalized across education, health, and socio-political participation. Their exclusion is shaped by Vietnam’s complex cultural and historical contexts (Nguyen & Deborah, 2021), influenced by prolonged periods of colonization by multiple empires, including China, France, and the United States. Globally, the coloniality of power, particularly the coloniality of knowledge (Quijano, 2007), continues to sideline the voices of women and girls with disabilities in the Global South, positioning them as objects of study rather than as knowledge producers (Nguyen, 2016, 2018, 2020). Within these contexts, my research explores how participatory research engagement among women and girls with disabilities in Vietnam can become a site of resistance that disrupts dominant power relations in knowledge production and challenges dominant narratives of disability and gender in Vietnam. Drawing on decolonial feminist and decolonial disability justice frameworks (Lugones (2007, 2010; Nguyen, 2023; Puar 2017), the study investigates how their participation in research reflects potential forms of collective leadership and activism that challenge Western epistemic dominance and colonial gender hierarchies. Using participatory and arts-based methods, the study situates research itself as an epistemic and political process through which women and girls with disabilities co-create knowledge, reimagining research as a decolonial and justice-oriented practice in the Global South.

Rights of Nature Activism and the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities: Fabian Garcia (University of Guelph)
Abstract: According to Eco Jurisprudence Monitor, close to 600 initiatives have emerged around the world advocating for the legal personhood of nature and for specific ecosystems, plants, and animal species. This growing movement affirms the Rights of Nature (RoN) to exist, regenerate, and preserve ecological balance—frequently characterized as a transformative shift in worldview, a groundbreaking legal innovation, and a practical means of safeguarding the environment. While scholarship has examined the philosophical foundations of RoN, little attention has been given to the strategies and experiences of the activists sustaining it. Even less explored is the inclusion of disability perspectives, despite the unequal toll of environmental crises placed on this population. This paper investigates how disability inclusion is recognized within the movement—and why it matters. It focuses on two Ecuador-based organizations, Fundación Pachamama and the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, which occupy a distinctive role within transnational RoN advocacy networks, contributing to novel legal norms and shaping public debates both nationally and internationally. The study is grounded in the theoretical framework of transformational change, conceptualized as a profound, systemic reconfiguration of values, behaviours, structures, and paradigms. Methodologically, it employs a digital ethnographic approach and uses thematic and comparative analysis to examine how activists engage with ecological and disability justice. This includes documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews with 8-10 activists per organization, and 5-7 interviews with key informants. By centering activists’ voices, the study reveals how legal frameworks are being reshaped to include both ecological systems and historically marginalized human communities.

Breaking Barriers: A Comparative Study of Leadership Challenges of Women with Disabilities in Disability Organizations in Canada and South Africa: Hiwot Mekuanent (University of Guelph)
Abstract: It is estimated that one in five women lives with a disability. (WHO, 2011) Women with disabilities face intersectional discrimination and disadvantages, including prejudice and biases compared to men due to gender and related issues. This significantly hinders their access to leadership roles. Women with disabilities offer tremendous potential for leadership and the ability to transform communities (Mobility International USA); however, several organizations in high and low-income countries lack supportive policies and strategies to bring them into leadership roles. In Canada, women make up just over half of the population but are underrepresented in leadership, with greater barriers for those facing intersecting discrimination. (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2022) Similarly, in South Africa, despite the various gender equality initiatives, women still face significant barriers to leadership, highlighting the need for urgent action to address these disparities. (KPMG, 2023) This research aims to explore the barriers women with disabilities face in attaining and sustaining leadership roles within disability organizations in Canada and South Africa. The study uses a comparative case study approach. Using a qualitative method, data is being gathered from two groups: women with disabilities who are employees or board members of a disability organization, and leaders of disability organizations in Canada and South Africa. The collected data will be thematically analyzed. The research is expected to produce a detailed report on barriers faced by women with disabilities in attaining and sustaining leadership roles, propose best practices for inclusive leadership, offer actionable recommendations for stakeholders, and highlight areas requiring further research.