Gender & Blindness

Women bear two-thirds of the global burden of blindness. In parts of Africa, this imbalance is especially pronounced, as women do not enjoy high levels of financial independence, decision-making power, nor social support. KCCO employs a gender coordinator to organize projects that seek to address gender inequity with respect to eye care. These projects specifically target women, often mobilizing them within communities and facilitating their access to eye care.  KCCO is also part of a global effort–with organizations including Seva Canada, the Seva Foundation, BC Centre for Epidemiologic & International Ophthalmology, and the Al Noor Foundation–to test strategies for improving eye care service utilization by women and for promoting gender equity across the globe.

Below you will find KCCO’s reports on projects and research regarding gender & blindness, as well as relevant materials from other sources. For more information you can contact our Microfinance & Gender Coordinator Fortunate Shija: fshija@kcco.net

An interview on gender & blindness, featuring Dr Paul Courtright,
taken at the IAPB 9th General Assembly

An interview on gender & blindness, featuring Dr Paul Courtright, taken at the IAPB 9th General Assembly

MICROFINANCE PROJECT

In an ongoing effort toward reducing gender inequity in blindness, KCCO works with microfinance (MF) groups in a number of regions to foster eye disease awareness in the community.

This has proved to be an effective strategy, as the advocacy work of MF members trained to identify and refer patients in need of eye care services has led to a notable increase in the number of female patient referrals to outreach clinics and regional hospitals.

Read more below: