She gathered the courage to speak.
To say what happened.
To name the harm.
To ask for help.
And the response?
“Let’s not make this a big issue.”
For many survivors, especially women and girls with disabilities, the first barrier is not the abuse.
It’s being dismissed.
When reports are silenced, violence continues.
When survivors are not believed, justice slips further away.
A disability-inclusive GBV response means the following:
• Believing survivors
• Training frontline officers and community leaders
• Strengthening safe, accessible reporting pathways
• Protecting dignity and confidentiality
No survivor should be told to stay quiet to keep the peace.
When survivors speak, systems must listen and act.
