Women with disabilities

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality adopted the own-initiative report by Angelika WERTHMANN (ADLE, AT) on women with disabilities.

Members recall that 80 million people with disabilities living in the Union of which 46 million are women and girls, who make up 16% of the total female population of the EU. Women with disabilities were multiply disadvantaged, facing significant difficulties in obtaining access to adequate housing, healthcare, public transport, education, vocational training and employment, experiencing inequality in access to credit and other productive resources, and rarely participating in decision-making processes.

Consequently, Members stressed that strategies, policies and legislative initiatives to ensure non-discrimination and equal opportunities must be drawn up for such persons. They underlined the importance of mainstreaming gender disability in gender policies, programmes and measures and regretted the fact that the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 did not include an integrated gender perspective or a separate chapter on gender-specific disability policies, and that the Strategy for Equality between women and men 2010-2015 did not do so either. They urged those Member States that have not yet ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol to do so.

Optimising resources: Members highlighted the importance of optimising the use of EU funding instruments, particularly the Structural Funds, in order to promote accessibility and non-discrimination regarding persons with disabilities.

Fight against discrimination: the report stressed the fact that numerous studies had shown that women with disabilities suffered double discrimination on grounds both of their gender and their disability, and emphasised that the overlap of such discrimination had particularly negative effects on women and girls with disabilities. It called on the Commission and the Member States to make more ambitious efforts to remove the remaining obstacles.

Members insisted that inclusion presupposes that stereotypes are countered. They pointed out that the media play an important role in bringing about a change for the better in the public’s attitude towards women with disabilities.

Fight against sexual violence: Members invited Member States to Calls on the Member States to consider sexual violence a serious crime liable to prosecution, especially in the case of women with mental disabilities.

The report stressed that, in order to prevent the seclusion, abandonment, neglect and segregation of girls with disabilities, it is necessary to launch information campaigns for families.  Where children with disabilities cannot be cared for by their immediate families, the authorities should seek to ensure that, as an alternative, they can be cared for within their wider family entourage or provide them with community care in a family environment; 

Support measures: the report calls for the following measures:

• housing, by hastening a universal design intended to cater for the basic daily needs of women with disabilities;
• greater access to decent living conditions, including mobility, access to public and social services, and participation in public life;
• barrier-free accessibility to the transport infrastructure, the vehicles and the information and reservation formats;
• accessibility to the internet and social media particularly readability of all public websites for people with visual impairment;
• democratic participation through the provision of adequately adapted facilities and to empower women's active involvement and participation;
• personal assistance to ensure autonomous living for women with disabilities.

Members also recalled that every step in a woman's life entailed not only opportunities but also responsibilities and that in this sense women often have to endure a disproportionate burden in terms of pregnancy and childbearing. They must face the negative implications of pregnancy, especially in cases when fathers did not assume their responsibilities. Members recalled that in a family both parents should share the same responsibilities. They emphasised that women and girls with disabilities must be informed of their rights so that they can make decisions for themselves.

The report called for special training of all medical professionals dealing with women with disabilities and with disabled migrant girls and women.

Sexuality, pregnancy and abortion: women with disabilities should enjoy the same rights and opportunities as are offered to women without disabilities so as to avoid any discouragement from becoming pregnant. In any event, Members noted that forced sterilisation and coerced abortion are forms of violence against women and constitute forms of inhuman and degrading treatment that Member States must eradicate and strongly condemn. Women and girls with disabilities must be allowed to enjoy their sexuality as freely as people without impairments, and fulfil their wish either to have or not to have children, take responsibility for their sexual behaviour and have access to education on sexuality.

Specialised support, including childcare assistance, should be provided to women with disabilities, particularly to women with an intellectual impairment.

For women who have been subject to violence, including sexual violence, in care homes and mental hospitals, Members called for inquiries and with a view to taking the appropriate measures. 

Members also stressed that contraceptive methods must never be administered, nor a pregnancy legally terminated, against the will of a woman or girl with disabilities. The latter must have the right to give their informed consent and all cases of forced sterilisation must be condemned.

Protection of women with disabilities: Members invited the EU and Member States to take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect women and girls with disabilities, both within and outside the home, from all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse and to facilitate their access to justice, taking into consideration their specific needs, including assistive devices/ They regretted that EU and national legislation to prevent exploitation, violence and abuse often lacks a focus on disability.

The report urged the Commission to launch a comprehensive strategy to fight violence against women, as requested by Parliament in its resolution of 5 April 2011 and to present a legislative criminal law instrument to combat gender-based violence, including the protection of rights of disabled women in cases of sexual abuse and violence. They must be able to file a complaint and be transferred immediately to a temporary full-time care centre. Members proposed the introduction of trial procedures specifically tailored to meet the needs of women and girls with disabilities, including the provision of NGO assistance.