Double Jeopardy: Plight of Female Students with Disabilities in Botswana’s Higher Education

Although substantial recent research addresses the importance of higher education (HE) for students with disabilities, this sector has remained under-researched in Botswana. The struggle of female students with disabilities to access and participate in HE remains an issue of great concern for disability activists and researchers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of female students with disabilities in their struggle to access and participate in three HE institutions in Botswana. Seven female students with disabilities participated in this research. Multiple methods, such as focus group discussions, photovoice and solicited journals, were used to collect data. The data were analysed using Atlas.ti 7.5 qualitative data analysis software. Three themes emerged, and they are (a) socio-cultural issues and disability identity, (b) access and participation in HE and (c) empowerment of female students. These findings served to inform Botwana’s HE institutions that include female students with disabilities, to help them to promote participation as well as quality of experiences