Online Reporter
Disability Issues
Dr Christine Peta
THIS week, we focus on caregivers of persons with disabilities.
These are individuals who play a vital yet often overlooked role in the disability rights discourse.
Caregivers provide essential support that varies depending on the nature and severity of the disability.
Their responsibilities often include physical assistance, emotional support and help with daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, mobility support (including transferring from bed to wheelchair or assisting with walking aids) and medication management.
In addition to direct care, many also undertake indirect tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Zimbabwe commemorated the International Day of Care and Support on October 29. In many African contexts, including Zimbabwe, caregiving is deeply gendered and often associated with femininity.
Research shows that two out of every three family caregivers are women.
Mothers, daughters, sisters and wives frequently assume caregiving roles without formal training, recognition or compensation. From a young age, girls are socialised to be nurturing, empathetic and responsible for others’ well-being.
This conditioning leads many women to internalise caregiving as a natural extension of their identity. In contrast, boys are often taught to prioritise independence, competition and career success — traits perceived as incompatible with caregiving.
Men who take on caregiving roles often face social stigma. These practices reinforce the notion that caregiving is a female responsibility and undermine the idea that men are equally capable.
The resulting imbalances contribute to gender disparities in income, career advancement and health outcomes.
Challenges that are often encountered by caregivers of persons with disabilities include:
Economic hardship: Many caregivers give up paid employment to provide full-time care, leading to financial instability.
Social isolation: The demands of caregiving can limit social interaction and community participation.
Mental and physical strain: The emotional toll, combined with physical tasks, can lead to burnout and health issues.
Lack of support services: Caregivers often lack access to respite care, counselling and disability inclusive infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, caregivers are key advocates of the rights of persons with disabilities. They navigate health systems, fight for access to education and services, and ensure their loved ones are treated with dignity. The United Nations warns that if care work — including that involving persons with disabilities — is not adequately addressed in policy and programming, existing deficits will deepen gender inequalities and contribute to a severe, unsustainable global care crisis.
To better support caregivers, we must provide financial support and legal protections; offer training and mental health services to reduce burnout; invest in disability-inclusive infrastructure to ease caregiving burdens; recognise caregiving as essential labour, not just a private responsibility; challenge gender stereotypes; and support male caregivers. Caregiving systems must be equitable.
Only then can we ensure that caregiving becomes a shared responsibility — not a gendered burden.
Caregivers are not just helpers — they are lifelines. Their multi-faceted support enables persons with disabilities to live fuller, more autonomous lives.
Recognising, respecting and supporting caregivers as the backbone of disability support systems is essential to building inclusive and compassionate communities.
Dr Christine Peta is a disability, public health, policy, international development and research expert. She can be contacted on: [email protected]
