{"id":2542,"date":"2025-11-01T10:03:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T10:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/?p=2542"},"modified":"2025-12-05T12:59:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T12:59:30","slug":"story-of-impact-robinah-alambuya-advancing-mental-health-dignity-and-justice-for-women-with-psychosocial-disabilities-in-uganda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/story-of-impact-robinah-alambuya-advancing-mental-health-dignity-and-justice-for-women-with-psychosocial-disabilities-in-uganda\/","title":{"rendered":"Story of Impact: Robinah Alambuya \u2013 Advancing Mental Health, Dignity, and Justice for Women with Psychosocial Disabilities in Uganda"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Kampala, Uganda,&nbsp;<strong>Robinah Alambuya<\/strong>&nbsp;stands as one of Africa\u2019s most influential advocates for mental health inclusion and the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities. She is the&nbsp;<strong>Executive Director of Triumph Mental Health Support Uganda<\/strong>, a pioneering organization founded and led by persons with psychosocial disabilities, and serves as the&nbsp;<strong>Regional Representative for Eastern Africa<\/strong>&nbsp;within&nbsp;<strong>Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robinah\u2019s journey is one of resilience, courage, and transformation. Living with a psychosocial disability herself, she turned personal experience into purpose\u2014building&nbsp;<strong>Triumph Mental Health Support Uganda<\/strong>&nbsp;into a powerful voice for human rights, inclusion, and community-based mental health care. Under her leadership, the organization has created safe spaces for women and men with psychosocial disabilities to access peer support, counseling, and empowerment. It also works to challenge stigma, discrimination, and institutionalization by promoting awareness, policy reform, and survivor-led advocacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are not our diagnosis,\u201d says Robinah. \u201cWomen with psychosocial disabilities are leaders, mothers, and agents of change. What we need is acceptance, not confinement; opportunity, not exclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a&nbsp;<strong>Regional Representative of DIWA for Eastern Africa<\/strong>, Robinah plays a pivotal role in uniting and strengthening national networks of women with disabilities across countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. She fosters regional collaboration, supports advocacy campaigns, and represents DIWA in key regional and global policy forums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762251421810.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762251421810.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762251421810-300x139.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762251421810-768x355.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her advocacy has reached some of the world\u2019s most influential spaces. In&nbsp;<strong>March 2025<\/strong>, Robinah participated in the&nbsp;<strong>Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69)<\/strong>&nbsp;at the&nbsp;<strong>United Nations Headquarters in New York<\/strong>, where she was featured on several high-level panels, including&nbsp;<strong>DIWA\u2019s side event<\/strong>&nbsp;titled&nbsp;<em>\u201cPowerful Yet Overlooked: African Women, Diversity, and Inclusion in Beijing +30.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;Her powerful remarks centered on the need for intersectional inclusion within feminist and disability movements and for global frameworks to acknowledge the rights of women with psychosocial disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTrue inclusion means recognizing that mental health is part of womanhood,\u201d she said at CSW69. \u201cFeminist and disability movements must work together to dismantle stigma and ensure that every woman, regardless of her disability, is seen and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robinah also represented DIWA during the&nbsp;<strong>85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights (ACHPR)<\/strong>&nbsp;in Banjul, The Gambia, where she spoke at the side event on&nbsp;<strong>Reparations, Intersectionality, and Justice for Women with Disabilities<\/strong>. There, she amplified the call for African States to adopt disability-inclusive justice mechanisms that address both historical and ongoing harms faced by women with psychosocial disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-01-at-10.57.00-576x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-01-at-10.57.00-576x1024.jpeg 576w, https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-01-at-10.57.00-169x300.jpeg 169w, https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-01-at-10.57.00.jpeg 607w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through&nbsp;<strong>Triumph Mental Health Support Uganda<\/strong>, she continues to lead national and regional campaigns advocating for an end to&nbsp;<strong>forced institutionalization<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>involuntary treatment<\/strong>, and&nbsp;<strong>violations in psychiatric care<\/strong>. Her work champions&nbsp;<strong>community-based mental health support<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>survivor-led participation<\/strong>&nbsp;in reforming laws and systems in line with the&nbsp;<strong>Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMental health inclusion is a matter of human rights and justice,\u201d Robinah affirms. \u201cWhen women with psychosocial disabilities take leadership, they help societies heal and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robinah\u2019s leadership continues to influence change across Eastern Africa and beyond. Through DIWA, she is helping to shape a continental movement that redefines leadership, inclusion, and justice\u2014ensuring that no woman is left behind because of her disability or mental health condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur voices matter,\u201d she concludes. \u201cWhen women with psychosocial disabilities lead, Africa listen<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762251421701.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762251421701.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762251421701-300x139.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1762251421701-768x355.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Kampala, Uganda,&nbsp;Robinah Alambuya&nbsp;stands as one of Africa\u2019s most influential advocates for mental health inclusion and the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities. She is the&nbsp;Executive Director of Triumph Mental Health Support Uganda, a pioneering organization founded and led by persons with psychosocial disabilities, and serves as the&nbsp;Regional Representative for Eastern Africa&nbsp;within&nbsp;Disabled Women in Africa [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-impactstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2542"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2748,"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2542\/revisions\/2748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.shakesolutions.net\/diwa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}