WOMENS UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN WOMENS UN REPORT

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® WOMEN'S UN REPORT NETWORK - WUNRN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY October 23, 2012 United Nations - New York

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® LOUD, PROUD & PASSIONATE - WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES MUSICAL VIDEO

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® WOMEN & GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES - UN According to the June 2011 Report of the World Health Organization and World Bank, about 650 million people in the world—or 15 per cent of the world’s population— live with disabilities, and frequently encounter a myriad of physical and social obstacles. They often lack the opportunities of the mainstream population and are usually among the most marginalized in society. There are significant differences in the prevalence of disability between men and women in both developing and developed countries. The male disability prevalence rate is 12%, and the female disability prevalence rate is 19. 2% Disabled women and girls face barriers to full equality and advancement because of such factors as race, age, language, ethnicity, culture, religion or disability. Persistence of certain cultural, legal and institutional barriers makes women and girls with disabilities the victims of two-fold discrimination: as women and as persons with disabilities. "Girls and women of all ages with any form of disability are among the more vulnerable and marginalized of society. There is therefore need to take into account and to address their concerns in all policy-making and programming. Special measures are needed at all levels to integrate them into the mainstream of development. " Often, women with disabilities are invisible both among those promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, and those promoting gender equality and the advancement of women.

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® DISABILITY FROM ACID ATTACKS ON WOMEN & GIRLS – A LIVING DEATH OF PAIN & SUFFERING Victim of acid attack - Bangladesh - Photo: Ulrik Jantzen

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® GLOBAL LENS - WOMEN & GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES APPROXIMATELY 325 MILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE INTELLECTUAL, MENTAL, SENSORY, AND/OR PHYSICAL DISABILITY. GLOBALLY, WOMEN MAKE UP 3/4 OF THE DISABLED PEOPLE IN LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES. BETWEEN 65% AND 70% OF THESE DISABLED WOMEN LIVE IN RURAL AREAS. THE ILO REPORTS THAT WOMEN ARE AT RISK OF BECOMING DISABLED DURING THEIR LIFETIME DUE TO NEGLECT IN HEALTH CARE< POOR WORK CONDITIONS, GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE +. THE ILO FURTHER STATES THAT WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES ARE AT INCREASED RISK OF BEING SICKER, POORER, AND MORE SOCIALLY ISOLATED THAN EITH MEN WITH DISABILITIES OR NONDISABLED WOMEN.

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® UGANDA - DISABLED MOTHER OF 7, STRUGGLES WITH POVERTY, MOBILITY, VULNERABILITY + Photo - Martina Bacigalupo This 35 -year-old disabled mother of 7 in Uganda sits on her handcrank tricycle in front of her mud home. Few women and girls with physical disabilities have functioning mobility devices. She fears her husband will stray, and possibly infect her with HIV. She worries about her vulnerability to sexual violence.

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Article 6 - Women with Disabilities 1. States Parties recognize that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination, and in this regard shall take measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by them of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. 2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women, for the purpose of guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment of the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the present Convention. Article 7 - Children with disabilities 1. States Parties shall take all necessary measures to ensure the full enjoyment by children with disabilities of all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other children. 2. In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration. 3. States Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, on an equal basis with other children, and to be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance to realize that right.

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN - CEDAW - 1979 DISABLED WOMEN - General Recommendation No. 18 - 1991 The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Taking into consideration particularly article 3 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Having considered more than 60 periodic reports of States parties, and having recognized that they provide scarce information on disabled women, Concerned about the situation of disabled women, who suffer from a double discrimination linked to their special living conditions, Recalling paragraph 296 of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 9 in which disabled women are considered as a vulnerable group under the heading "areas of special concern", Affirming its support for the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons (1982), 10 Recommends that States parties provide information on disabled women in their periodic reports, and on measures taken to deal with their particular situation, including special measures to ensure that they have equal access to education and employment, health services and social security, and to ensure that they can participate in all areas of social and cultural life.

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® INDIA - WIDOWS - HIGH DISABILITY RATES - POVERTY & COMPOUNDED DISCRIMINATION WUNRN Photo - Poverty stricken widows in City of Widows, Vrindivan, India The Indian widow experiences compounded discrimination and marginalization - as a woman, as a widow, often as an elderly woman, and as a POOR widowed woman. Many widows chant in Hindu temples to be given small bowls of rice. Guild of Service-India

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® WOMEN & GIRL WITH DISABILITIES - INTERSECTIONALITY OF RIGHTS ISSUES *Poverty *Internal Displacement *Health - Physical & Mental *Safety - Violence - Rape *Food & Nutrition/Malnutrition *Migration *Reproductive Health *Minority & Indigenous Issues *Water & Sanitation *Culture & Traditions *Preference for Males *Land, Housing/Shelter Land-Grabbing, Forced Evictions Homelessness - Slums *Climate Change *War & Conflict *Refugee Status *Natural Disasters *Widows Discrimination *Lifespan - Ageing Disabled Women - Survival *Exposure to Environmental Hazards

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® IRAQ - HOW DO WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES COPE WITH WAR? © Panos Pictures / M. Saman

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® SIERRA LEONE - GIRL AMPUTEE DISABLED BY WAR International Committee of the Red Cross - Photo

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® SOMALIA - DISPLACEMENT FROM CONFLICT, DROUGHT, FAMINE WHAT HAPPENS TO DISABLED WOMEN WHO CANNOT FLEE?

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® HOW CAN CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASE CHALLENGES FOR DISABLED WOMEN & GIRLS AS FLOODS IN BANGLADESH?

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® NATURAL DISASTERS CHALLENGE DISABLED WOMEN - ITALY EARTHQUAKE Photo: Filippo Monteforte/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® VIOLENCE AGAINST OLDER WOMEN IN NURSING HOMES BBC Photo - Violence against woman patient in nursing home in North London

WOMEN’S UN REPORT NETWORK WUNRN® DISABLED WOMAN'S VOICE I am a proud disabled woman. My body and mind may challenge me. I have learned my own special way To meet my needs, to deal with life. I have dreams, and I have goals. And you will see, I will achieve. Give me respect, as I deserve. I will persevere for my rights. Disabled friends, they understand. We share fears, joys, and support. I am female with feelings as you. Include me, enable me, celebrate me. I am a disabled woman, very much alive. Hear me, care about me, treasure me! WUNRN 2012