Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA) has issued a statement expressing deep concern and condemnation over the discriminatory treatment of Ethel Kachala, a woman with a disability and programs manager at the Federation of Disability Organisations in Malawi (FEDOMA), who was denied boarding by Ethiopian Airlines at Kamuzu International Airport on Thursday, 14 November 2025.
According to the statement, Kachala, who uses a wheelchair, was scheduled to travel to Benin to attend a conference on children with disabilities.
Despite communicating her specific needs to the airline in advance, she was refused boarding on her connecting Ethiopian Airlines flight, citing a policy that passengers who cannot move independently in the cabin are not allowed to board without an assistant.
The statement notes that DIWA’s vision is to ensure that women and girls with disabilities in Africa are empowered and leading change that enables equal opportunities, rights, and access to resources.
“This vision speaks directly to the injustice suffered by Ms. Kachala,” reads the statement.
The organization is demanding a formal public apology from Ethiopian Airlines/Malawian Airlines to Kachala and the disability community, adequate compensation for emotional distress, reputational damage, and professional loss, and an immediate review and amendment of Ethiopian Airlines’ policies and staff training procedures to align with global disability inclusion standards.
