area of work

Disability and social inclusion

Our mission names girls and women with and without disabilities. Inclusion runs through every programme.

The challenge
Our response
Projects
Gallery

Woman in a hand-cranked wheelchair at a community meeting

InPower programme participant speaks into a microphone at a meeting

InPower annual partners' meeting · February 2026

the challenge

Higher risk and more barriers to reporting

Girls and women with disabilities face higher risks of violence and the greatest barriers to reporting it. During CONNECT project training in 2023, many women with disabilities first described the violence they experienced every day as “normal”.

Services are not always prepared. In Sofala, district GBV referral groups told GCR that caseworkers lack sign-language and disability-inclusion training, which slows down support for survivors with disabilities.

our response

Inclusion is part of the mission

GCR's mission names girls and women with and without disabilities. That is why data from every project are disaggregated by sex, age and disability, and safe spaces, curricula and training are adapted for people with disabilities.

GCR works with Light for the World on the InPower and CONNECT programmes, funded by the Austrian Development Agency, and with FAMOD, the national forum of organisations of persons with disabilities. It has carried out inclusive rapid gender analyses in Cabo Delgado and Sofala, and trains partners in inclusive humanitarian action.

People with disabilities facilitate and lead: half of the No Means No facilitators have disabilities, and CONNECT created committees of women with disabilities who support and speak up for other women.

How we work on inclusion

01
Analyse

Inclusive rapid gender analyses to identify the barriers that women and girls with disabilities face in accessing protection.
02
Adapt

Accessible curricula and safe spaces: No Means No was adapted for inclusion and translated into Portuguese; GCR produced a guide to setting up safe spaces and a facilitation manual for inclusive sessions.
03
Train

Staff of partner organisations, activists and facilitators, including people with disabilities, in inclusion, gender-transformative approaches and GBV case management.
04
Reach the community

Mobile outreach teams with the district referral groups inform people with disabilities about how to report GBV and where to seek help.
05
Hold services to account

Accountability meetings with the district GBV referral groups, which in Sofala agreed a single, confidential referral form.

results

Results achieved

No Means No facilitators trained, half of them with disabilities

field staff trained in inclusive safe spaces

Participants standing during an activity at a disability-inclusion training

from the field

Metuge and Chiúre: women with disabilities leading the response

Between March 2023 and February 2024, the CONNECT project opened four safe spaces in resettlement centres in Metuge and Chiúre. There, women had GBV talks, literacy classes, psychosocial support and referrals to services.

In the first sessions on gender norms, many women with disabilities described the violence they experienced as “normal”. Those norms had to be worked on first so that the women could recognise and report abuse.

The project created two community committees of women with disabilities, with 20 women trained to support and speak up for others. All five project targets were met.

Metuge and Chiúre, Cabo Delgado

Metuge, Cabo Delgado · 2023 · Photo: GCR

projects and presence

What we have done and what we do

Cabo DelgadoAncuabe, Chiúre, Macomia, Mecúfi, Mocímboa da Praia, Montepuez, Mueda, Muidumbe, Nangade, Pemba
SofalaBeira, Búzi, Dondo, Gorongosa, Nhamatanda

ongoingJan 2023 – Dec 2027

InPower – Inclusive Empowerment of Women and Girls with Disabilities

Austrian Development Agency (ADA), through Light for the World

Beira, Dondo, Búzi, Nhamatanda and Gorongosa (Sofala)

In the first year, 51 staff of partner organisations (61% women) trained in gender-transformative approaches, disability inclusion and GBV case management.
completedJul–Oct 2025

No Means No (school pilot, under InPower)

Austrian Development Agency (ADA), through Light for the World

Five schools in Beira and Nhamatanda (Sofala)

269 adolescents completed the curriculum; among boys, gender-equitable attitudes rose by 20% and knowledge of consent by 31%.
completedMar 2023 – Feb 2024

CONNECT – Inclusive Humanitarian Action for All

Austrian Development Agency (ADA), through Light for the World, with IsraAID and ADEL-CD

Metuge and Chiúre (Cabo Delgado)

4 safe spaces in resettlement centres with 139 women, 42% of them with disabilities; 173 people with disabilities informed by mobile outreach teams about how to report GBV.