The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) stands in solidarity with persons with disabilities as we mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the theme “Fostering Disability Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress.” We cannot speak honestly about justice, equality or development in Botswana while persons with disabilities remain on the margins shut out of decisions that shape their lives, unable to access many health and social services, and excluded from spaces where power is exercised. Disability inclusion is not a favour; it is a non-negotiable human right and a prerequisite for a fair and humane society.

Across the country, persons with disabilities continue to encounter clinics they cannot enter, services they cannot use, and information they cannot read, hear or understand. These barriers are made worse by stigma, discrimination and harmful attitudes that treat disability as a burden rather than a part of human diversity. Women, young people, LGBTIQ+ persons and other key populations with disabilities are especially at risk of violence, abuse and exclusion, including in the HIV and sexual and reproductive health response. When systems fail to include persons with disabilities, they are effectively saying that some lives matter less.

BONELA echoes the powerful demand “Nothing for us without us” and calls for the full and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in all policy, legal and programme decisions from Parliament and ministries to clinics, schools and villages. We urge government and all duty-bearers to align laws and policies with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to invest in accessible infrastructure and information, and to ensure disability-sensitive health, justice and social services. Inclusion must be visible in budgets, training, data and accountability, not only in speeches.

BONELA reaffirms its commitment to mainstreaming disability inclusion in all its work, strengthening partnerships with organisations of persons with disabilities and defending the rights of those whose voices are most easily ignored. A Botswana that is safe, healthy and dignified for persons with disabilities is a better Botswana for everyone. On this day, we recommit to building a society where no one is left behind.

For more information, contact BONELA on:

Cindy Kelemi at cindyk@bonela.org  or 72385054

Katlego Sechele at ksechele@bonela.org  or 72282025