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Disability Rights

SALC’s Disability Rights work is integrated within its other programmatic areas and focuses on the following objectives:

  • To encourage the development and reform of laws and policies in line with the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
  • To raise awareness of ongoing discrimination of persons with disabilities in the criminal justice system, with a focus on persons with mental disabilities and persons with albinism.
  • To ensure accountability for discrimination of persons with disabilities in healthcare services, including through complaints mechanisms.
  • To ensure access to education for children with disabilities.
  • To support the work towards petty offences and provide evidence to courts on how these offences impact on persons with disabilities.

On-going cases:

Completed cases:

Annual Reports and NewslettersBusiness and Human RightsChildren's RightsCriminal JusticeDisability RightsFreedom of Expression, Assembly and AssociationHealth RightsInternational Criminal JusticeRefugee and Migrant RightsRule of LawSADCSexual and Reproductive Health RightsSOGIE RightsWomen’s Land and Property Rights

2015-2017 BIENNIAL REPORT

SALC envisions a region in which domestic and regional courts are strong, independent, and fully functional and in which they uphold and enforce the rule of law and human rights. To that end, SALC works with domestic lawyers in each jurisdiction, who are litigating public interest cases involving human rights…
Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh
6 Oct 2017
Children's RightsDisability RightsMalawiResearch Reports & Policy BriefsResourcesSexual and Reproductive Health Rights

SALC Research Report: Prosecuting sexual violence against women and girls with disabilities in Malawi

This report was prompted by Malawian civil society organisations’ perception that there is a lack of will on the part of police and prosecution to investigate and prosecute cases related to sexual violence committed against women and girls living with disabilities. The researchers interviewed civil society organisations, police and prosecutors…
Staff Writer
31 Jul 2017
BotswanaDisability RightsFocus areasFocus countriesHealth RightsMalawiResearch Reports & Policy BriefsResourcesSex Worker RightsSexual and Reproductive Health RightsSOGIE RightsZambia

SALC Policy brief: Access to justice for healthcare violations

In 2016 SALC launched a research report on the extent to which key populations are subjected to discrimination in the healthcare system and their ability to access redress from complaints mechanisms. The research focused on Botswana, Malawi and Zambia. Subsequently, SALC convened meetings with civil society organisations and complaints bodies…
Staff Writer
24 Jul 2017
Disability RightsHealth RightsSex Worker RightsSOGIE RightsTrainingZambia

Workshop Report: Using complaints to address healthcare violations in Zambia

With funding from the Africa Regional Grant on HIV, SALC hosted workshops in Botswana, Malawi and Zambia on “Using complaints to address healthcare violations”, in reference to SALC’s Guidebook on the same subject. A workshop was held in Zambia on 15 February 2017 for participants from community-based organisations and non-governmental…
Staff Writer
4 Apr 2017
BotswanaDisability RightsHealth RightsSex Worker RightsSOGIE RightsTraining

Workshop Report: Using Complaints to address Healthcare Violations in Botswana

With funding from the Africa Regional Grant on HIV, SALC hosted workshops in Botswana, Malawi and Zambia on “Using complaints to address healthcare violations”, in reference to SALC’s Guidebook on the same subject. A workshop was held in Botswana from 21-22 February 2017 for participants from community-based organisations and non-governmental organisations, and from national human…
Staff Writer
4 Apr 2017
BotswanaCriminal JusticeDisability RightsEswatiniHealth RightsLesothoMalawiNewsRefugee and Migrant RightsRule of LawSex Worker RightsSexual and Reproductive Health RightsSOGIE RightsSouth AfricaZambia

SALC calls for #equalhealthforall

1 March is internationally known as Zero Discrimination Day. Discrimination undermines human dignity and is a violation of human rights. As stated by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the effects of discrimination aren’t isolated to the suffering of an individual person or group experiencing a particular incident:…
Staff Writer
2 Mar 2017
Disability RightsHealth RightsMalawiSex Worker RightsSOGIE RightsTraining

Workshop Report: Using Complaints to address healthcare violations in Malawi

With funding from the Africa Regional Grant on HIV, SALC hosted workshops in Botswana, Malawi and Zambia on “Using complaints to address healthcare violations”, in reference to SALC’s Guidebook on the same subject. A workshop was held in Malawi from 6-7 February 2017 for participants from community-based organisations and non-governmental organisations, and from national…
Staff Writer
2 Mar 2017
Disability RightsMalawiNewsSubmissions

Joint Statement to UN Human Rights Council opposing discriminatory treatment against persons with Albinism

On 10 February 2017, the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the Malawi Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (CHREAA) made a joint submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) calling the HRC to impress upon the government…
Staff Writer
17 Feb 2017