Women and Girls with Disabilities and Intersectionality: A Poststructuralist Analysis of Ethiopian Social Protection Policy (2014)

Abstract

Social protection policies are designed to eliminate poverty and vulnerability to risk by promoting employment opportunities and strengthening society to protect against man-made and natural hazards. Due to traditional views and patriarchal ideas of society towards women, women and girls with disabilities are excluded from sharing the benefits. Ethiopia, with a population of 110.1 million, is the second most populous country in Africa. However, poverty is also high in urban areas and has a particularly detrimental effect on households headed by women. This research is focus on Ethiopia's National Social Protection Policy 2014. This policy area is focus on how women and girls with disabilities are treated in the legal system by using the intersectional approach.  What is the problem, represented to be and content analysis was used to find out the problem. The analysis showed that the problem in the policy is poverty, vulnerability and exclusion of poor people. The intersectional approach showed that women and girls with disabilities are not presented as a problem in the policy and that the legal protection system does not really provide services by specifying their physical, psychological, sexual, social and economic problems.