By Abigail Jele

In January 2026, some civil society actors and Women attempted to reach a rural community in Eswatini to attend the funeral of a woman who died as a result of Gender Based Violence (GBV), it was very hard to reach. 

Heavy rains had severely damaged rural roads, leaving some routes nearly impassable and delaying access to the community. 

But what should have been a moment of solidarity and collective mourning instead exposed a deeper structural crisis facing rural communities, this experience revealed more than the effects of seasonal rainfall.

It highlighted how the deterioration of rural roads has become a serious threat to the enabling environment for civil society, particularly in marginalized and remote areas.

Road infrastructure is often treated as a development concern, yet in practice it is a critical human rights issue.

When access routes collapse, so too do systems of protection, participation, and accountability.

Civil society organizations, journalists, lawyers, and protection actors depend on physical access to rural communities to document human rights and environmental violations, respond to emergencies, and support survivors. When roads become impassable, violations go undocumented, response times are delayed, and perpetrators act with greater impunity.

Entire communities become invisible to national oversight mechanisms, rural women are especially affected, they already face significant barriers in accessing justice, particularly in cases of gender-based violence. 

Impassable roads deepen these barriers by delaying emergency response, limiting psychosocial support, and preventing consistent follow-up.

In such conditions, violence becomes further normalized and underreported, while survivors and families are left to cope in isolation.

What begins as a temporary disruption caused by heavy rains quickly escalates into systemic exclusion. When civil society cannot consistently access rural areas, community voices fade from public discourse. 

Early warning signs of abuse, environmental harm, or political intimidation go unnoticed. 

Over time, frustration grows, trust erodes, and the cost of civic engagement rises, discouraging participation and peaceful mobilization.

This isolation also heightens the risk of repression. With fewer observers and weaker documentation, both state and non-state actors face less scrutiny. Accountability mechanisms are weakened not necessarily through direct crackdowns, but through structural neglect. 

Inequality between urban and rural populations deepens, reinforcing long-standing patterns of marginalization and exclusion.

The continued deterioration of rural roads due to heavier rains poses a medium to high risk to Eswatini’s enabling environment for civil society. Core principles such as access and participation, freedom of association and assembly, access to information, accountability, and the protection of human rights defenders are all affected. These conditions mirror early-warning indicators of a shrinking civic space, where restricted access and rising costs of engagement gradually undermine democratic participation.

As climate change intensifies rainfall patterns, rural communities continue to bear the greatest burden of infrastructure collapse.What is often framed as a natural disaster is, in reality, a political choice. Without climate-resilient road construction, regular maintenance, and rapid response mechanisms, climate shocks will continue to translate into human rights crises.

The Government of Eswatini must urgently recognize rural road infrastructure as a human rights and governance priority, not merely a development issue. 

Ensuring safe and reliable access to rural communities is essential for protecting women, amplifying community voices, and sustaining civic space. 

When roads become impassable, rights become inaccessible, and addressing this crisis is fundamental to dignity, accountability, and democracy in Eswatini.