On 12 March 2026, on the sidelines of the celebration of International Women's Day, this issue—among many others—was raised during an awareness-raising workshop on gender equality and the rights of women living with disabilities, organized by the Gender Section of MONUSCO in Kinshasa.
According to the head of this section, the issue of access to buildings for persons living with disabilities is only one of many challenges that hinder equality and autonomy for women with disabilities.
A daily challenge
“How many schools, hospitals or polling stations have ramps to facilitate access for persons living with disabilities?” asks Mireille Affa’a Mindzie.
For Prisca Nsanga, this question lies at the heart of many of the difficulties faced daily by persons living with disabilities.
She explains that accessibility to public buildings is a real challenge for people with reduced mobility, particularly due to the lack of ramps. For the visually impaired, the absence of sound signals also poses a major obstacle when navigating public spaces.
“I experience this situation myself every day,” she says. “Most buildings do not have facilities for persons living with disabilities. There are buildings I cannot access when I am invited by an authority or asked to speak. It is very limiting. With my crutch it is difficult—what about those who must move around in wheelchairs?”
Yet the law exists
An implementing decree of the law on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, published in 2024, nevertheless requires the State and private actors to provide “reasonable accommodations to make environments accessible to persons living with disabilities of all categories, particularly in terms of infrastructure, communication, information, education, leisure, transport, and more.”
Me Patrick Pindu, who was also present at the workshop, stressed the need for this decree to be enforced in order to facilitate the inclusion of persons living with disabilities.
For him, these barriers have serious consequences, particularly in the administration of justice. Difficulties in accessing buildings can discourage persons with disabilities from bringing cases before courts, even when they are fully within their rights.
“Take even the case of the Parliament building that represents the people. It is not very accessible for persons living with disabilities. The State must be more vigilant in sanctioning builders when legal provisions are not respected. Whether in schools, hospitals or churches, there is an accessibility problem everywhere,” regrets the lawyer, who heads the National Federation of Associations of Persons Living with Disabilities in Congo.
Continuing to advocate
Prisca Nsanga, who also serves as vice-president of the National Youth Council, believes that pressure must continue to be applied in order to change mindsets and encourage the State to enforce the law.
An orthoprosthetist by profession, she sees many persons living with disabilities at the hospital where she works who complain about the lack of access to basic services.
The chief of staff to the minister responsible for persons living with disabilities acknowledged the problem, stating that efforts are underway to improve access to public and private buildings for persons living with disabilities.
Philibert Sesanga notably indicated that inspections are currently being conducted to ensure that the law is respected.
As the head of MONUSCO’s Gender Section points out, “women living with disabilities are more vulnerable in cases of abuse.” It is therefore essential that access to public services be facilitated for them.
This was one of the key advocacy messages highlighted during the awareness-raising workshop on gender equality and the rights of women living with disabilities.
