Catherine Visensio Lolika speaks to Eye Radio at her Office. 23rd Feb 2023. (Photo: Awan Moses).

Despite being visually impaired, Catherine Visensio has beaten the odds of social and gender stigma, rising to success in a country where the rights of people with disabilities were only officially recognized last month.

Catherine, a graduate of the University of Juba, has not allowed disability to define her life and has overcome the challenges facing disabled people in South Sudan.

She currently works as an empowerment officer at the Organization for Voluntary International Cooperation (OVCI), an entity that campaigns for people with disabilities in the country.

Catherine holds a Diploma from the University of Juba, College of Community Studies and Rural Development, Department of Rural Development.

With the help of computer technology, Catherine can read and write easily, and in 2011, she was teaching Social Science and Religious Studies at Rejaf Educational Center for the Blind.

On top of that, she said she conveniently performs her duties as a housewife by shopping and cooking.

Speaking to Eye Radio last week, Catherine said her most important life achievements are her educational level, a happy marriage, and a convenient job.

However, she said being a visually impaired woman and a wife is not easy with the stigma and negative attitude in society.

“When I was getting married, the family of my husband from the beginning had that misunderstanding that as a disabled woman, I will not be able to do the house duties,” she said.

“But I showed them that I can do all my duties and they believed that a woman with a disability is able.”

She says women with a disability face risk of violence, discrimination, and abuse in society.

According to her, many women and girls with disabilities are not sent to school or given opportunities to participate in all aspects of life.

Last month, South Sudan assented to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) sets out the fundamental human rights of people with disability.

The purpose is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

Following its signing, Stephen Dhieu Kuach, the Director for People with Disabilities called on the government to adhere to the UN Convention on the right of People with Disabilities.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

According to Catherine, technology is important for women and more importantly for women with special needs.

“I can say Technology is very important to women so that they can interact through media like WhatsApp they can use a computer or smartphone, like me I can use a computer I can Access and communicate through Messenger, WhatsApp, Google, or any other means. I would say I can concur with this year’s theme and may it be implemented”.

Catherine’s role in the organization is to implement empowerment activities and ensure persons with disability have access to equal opportunities.

She adds that women need to be involved in the peace process and decision-making to extend gender equality in the country.

According to Disability Affairs in the Office of the Vice President for Gender and Youth Cluster, there are 1.3 million people living with disabilities in South Sudan.