ifrc.org

International Women's Day: Patricia’s path from exclusion to ‘a profound sense of belonging’

In addition to her volunteer work, Patricia works to provide for her family by selling vegetables along the side of a local road.

Photo: Zambia Red Cross Society

To mark International Women’s Day (8 March), we celebrate the story of Patricia, a volunteer with the Zambia Red Cross who overcame the odds to play an important role in building resilience in her community. Her pathway to inclusion was opened, she says, by an initiative of the IFRC and the European Union.

Born in farming area in Monze, in southern Zambia, Patricia Choongo Moolo was only three years old when she woke one day with a very high temperature and unable to walk or talk. Her mother took her to the nearest clinic, 5 kilometers away, where she was diagnosed with polio.

From that time on, she lost the use of both of her legs.

As a result, Patricia has had to face and overcome significant challenges along the way: discrimination, financial hardships, limited access to education, and the social exclusion caused by deeply ingrained social stigma.

Her parents’ friends and family, for example, discouraged them from sending Patricia to school, saying that there was nothing that she would be good at in life. Fortunately, Patricia’s parents refused to take this advice and stood up for their daughter, ensuring she finished her schooling.

Not many years later, 49-year old Patricia is a widely respected member of the community, known as a courageous advocate for women's empowerment, She has emerged as a leading voice in her community, playing and active and important role in building up her community’s preparedness and resilience to natural disasters and health emergencies.

Her journey from social exclusion to the heart of community life, she says, was given a significant boost in recent years by an project that ensures marginalized people – including people with disabilities – have a voice and role in crisis preparedness.

"Due to my disability and low self-esteem, I was previously unable to participate in community meetings,” she says.“However, with the introduction of this project, I experienced a profound sense of belonging and empowerment.”

The project she refers to is part of a larger, global collaboration (known as The Programmatic Partnership) between the IFRC, many of its member National Societies, and the European Union.

According to Patricia, the initiative enabled her to actively engage in local development efforts and contribute meaningfully to decisions being made in her community. For example, she serves as representative for individuals living with disabilities to her local disaster management committee.

In that role, she participates in disaster management training sessions and she takes part in community sensitization activities, going door-to-door with hygiene and prevention information for the “End Cholera Now” campaign and to spread awareness about early warning systems, and reducing flood risks.

Sitting on the ground near her home, 49-year-old Patricia crushes stones that are then sold to people for use in building projects. This is one of several ways she supports her family.

Photo: Zambia Red Cross Society

‘A disability does not mean an in-ability’

At the same time, she also works to supports herself and her family. She works in the fields picking and selling produce on local roadsides. She also sells stones for building projects that she breaks up herself by hand.

To do her daily work, Patricia has two wheelchairs, the standard one and a tricycle wheelchair that can go over rough terrain. She uses that one for field work. On a day-to-day basis, Patricia often interacts with many people, including some that have a disabilities, and she encourages them that “a disability does not mean an in-ability”.

"My disability enables me to reach out to many people, and especially to those with a disability,” she says. “They get encouraged after seeing me, and appreciate that when you are determined, you can accomplish anything”.

About the partnership project: Beyond participation

The partnership in Zambia includes the European Union, the Zambia Red Cross Society, the IFRC and the Netherlands Red Cross. Much of its work is done through Satellite Disaster Management Committees, which function as part of Zambia’s Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit.

A key element of the initiative is involving local voices in every step of the planning and implementation of disaster preparedness and risk reduction actions. This ensures that any actions taken address the specific needs of the community.

These community-based committees play an essential role in local disaster preparedness and response by directly connecting the national government to affected communities. Committee members include community leaders, ex-government representatives, local stakeholders, and people from vulnerable groups. Special attention is paid to women, children and people with disabilities.

But the programme goes a step further. Inclusion efforts involve concrete actions to remove physical, social, and economic barriers that hinder people with disabilities from fully participating. This is done through community discussions, storytelling, awareness raising, and by involving people with disabilities in all aspects of the work.

Overcoming stigmas and doubts

At first, Patricia faced resistance from some community members who doubted her ability to take on this role. But Patricia persevered. By engaging with her community, she was able to successfully challenge misconceptions and stigmas.

But taking on these issues is not an easy challenge. In many parts of Zambia, women and girls –especially those with disabilities – face compounded challenges. These include greater risks of gender-based violence, economic marginalization, and a lack of access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.

Many women with disabilities continue to struggle against entrenched gender norms that limit their autonomy and access to resources, while economic dependency also hinders the full participation of many women with disabilities.

For many women with disabilities, this exclusion is even more pronounced, as they are often denied marriage prospects, inheritance rights, and the ability to fully participate in economic life. These harmful practices have long-lasting effects, leaving many women with disabilities economically vulnerable and socially isolated.

In addition, there are many structural barriers such as limited physical accessibility in public spaces, lack of assistive devices.

Despite the many structural barriers, Patricia says as long as she has her tricycle and determination, and the confidence and trust that the community has in her, she can accomplish any assignments given.

"I have become a role model for many women who may hesitate to actively participate in community meetings and activities,” she says. “By taking the initiative myself, I aim to show that if I can do it, they can too—regardless of their circumstances."