1. Women with Disabilities
Pictures: Health handbook for women with disabilities. HESPERIAN
Maria Veronica Reina
Global Partnership for Disability and Development

2. WwD in Development-GPDD
The Global Partnership for Disability and Development and the World Bank’s Disability & Development Team (Human Development Network - Social Protection) hosted a two-week long e-discussion on the topic of Women with Disabilities and Development in March, The objective of the e-discussion was to build on existing knowledge and exchange ideas for effectively incorporating gender considerations in international disability and development programs. E-Discussion participants observed that women with disabilities confront a vast number of perplexing social problems in urgent need of resolution. The results of this discussion are outlined in this presentation.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

3. Framing the Issue Marginalization results in Exclusion:
Economic
Social life
Community
Barriers to Development Programs
Physical
Cultural
Women with disabilities are consistently among the most marginalized populations in many societies. This results in exclusion from economic life, social life, community life, and society at wide making them invisible and easily forgotten in the development agenda. Barriers in the physical and social environment prevent many women with disabilities from reaching out to, or even learning about, development programs in their communities. International forums on development commonly exclude women with disabilities. Negative attitudes or perceptions that some development actors hold toward women with disabilities may themselves create barriers to their participation. Many development programs fail to account for the accessibility needs of women with disabilities even when they do not intend to exclude them. When development actors consult the disability community at all, they consult primarily with men with disabilities because the leadership roles in many Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) go predominantly to men. The few women with disabilities who have a voice in the development agenda are mostly from developed countries. Women with disabilities in developing countries, and particularly women with disabilities living in poverty, are consistently denied the opportunity to participate in the economic and social development of their neighborhoods, communities, and nations.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

4. Reproductive Health of WwD
Barriers to access reproductive health care and basic medical care
Inaccessibility of health care clinics and procedures
Lack of information in appropriate formats
Lack of awareness and sensitization among agents
Rights denied
Retain fertility
Give birth
Several barriers prevent women with disabilities from accessing both reproductive health care and more basic medical care such as the inaccessibility of health care clinics and procedures, lack of health care information in appropriate formats, and lack of awareness and sensitization among medical personnel. Women with disabilities are frequently presumed to be asexual and find themselves excluded from many initiatives such as HIV/AIDS education and outreach efforts. Common experiences indicate that many women with disabilities are denied the right to retain their fertility, to be protected from sexual assault, or give birth. Many times, sterilization and abortion are strongly recommended instead of seeking out alternate ways to support family planning. Many women with disabilities are sterilized to avoid pregnancy, sometimes without their consent, instead of strengthening means of protection against sexual assault and rape
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

5. Violence and Access to Justice
Violence from
Care givers
In war
In prisons
From their own families
Barriers to access Justice
Accessibility issues
Awareness issues
Women with disabilities face violence from care givers, in war, in prisons, and from their own families. Fear for personal safety can be a serious barrier to participation in social and economic development programs. Abusers use various strategies to cover up their abuse and constrain the freedom of women, including damaging assistive devices to limit their independence. It is difficult for these women to access help or justice as well. Domestic violence shelters may be inaccessible or may refer women with disabilities to agencies that specialize in disability—but not in domestic violence.
Women with disabilities are more vulnerable to sexual violence because they are more likely to be isolated, uneducated, unskilled, and unaware that they have the right to speak out or fight back. They face enormous difficulties in obtaining protection from police against ongoing violence or in pursuing justice after they have escaped, due to access barriers as well as lack of sensitization among justice system personnel. They may be particularly vulnerable during war and armed conflict, and unable to access refuge and recovery services due to physical and communication barriers.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

6. Education
Women with disabilities: lower educational attainment than other women and men with disabilities
Developing countries: lack of teachers and schools capable to addressing the needs of children with disabilities in education, especially in the rural areas.
Girls with disabilities rarely receive an education. Education is often devalued both for people with disabilities and for women, putting women with disabilities at a dual disadvantage. Developing countries face a lack of teachers and schools capable to addressing the needs of children with disabilities in education, especially in the rural areas. Poorer quality education in special education schools puts them at a disadvantage when trying to compete with students without disabilities at the post-secondary and university levels.
Studies conducted in the United States have demonstrated that women with disabilities have lower educational attainment than other women and men with disabilities. Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, Baylor College of Medicine, “Characteristics of the U.S. Population of Women with Disabilities,” 2006, Internet, Traustadottir Rannveig. “Women with Disabilities: The Double Discrimination Part 2.” Research and Training Center on Community Integration, Center on Human Policy, Division of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Syracuse University, Internet,
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

7. Environment
Women with disabilities: disproportionately impacted by natural and man made disasters
Women with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by extreme changes in weather and the natural environment. They are more vulnerable during disaster situations when preparedness, response, and recovery efforts are inaccessible and exclude their needs. Similarly toxic materials used for construction affect people with disabilities such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) while also increasing illnesses related to chemical sensitivity.
One of the reasons for the high females death rate during disasters is due to their subordinate position within the family .Not many women are encouraged to make their own decisions or take responsibility for their lives, and depend on their husbands orfathers to make even the simplest of decision for them. This thinking affects their reaction in emergency situations. In a dangerous situation they do not make their own choice on when and whether to leave the home, but instead and wait for a man in the family to decide This can lead to a delay in evacuation and therefore increase the possibility of being injured or even killed.
One example of such lack of attention is evident in emergency shelters. These have been built to help save people in times of disasters and to provide shelter for those who can not return to their own homes. Although going to a shelter is sometimes the only possible way to survive, some women refuse to do so. Why ? Certain cultural rules. Especially for Muslims women keep away them from entering these shelters. In Islamic culture it is regarded inappropriate for women to show themselves to unknown men. In a crowded shelter it is impossible not to do so. Also the shelters do not provide enough privacy for women and seen as being unpleasant and unsafe.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

8. Employment
Discrimination, based on gender or disability or both, is a significant barrier for women with disabilities in obtaining employment.
Women with disabilities face attitudinal and institutional barriers to participating in different forms of employment, including self-employment
Discrimination, based on gender or disability or both, is a significant barrier for women with disabilities in obtaining employment. Women with disabilities face attitudinal and institutional barriers to participating in different forms of employment, including self-employment. Sporadic efforts have been made to address these issues and participants shared several examples of programs, policies, and initiatives seeking to promote different types of employment and self-sustenance activities for women with disabilities
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

9. Other issues Marginalized Populations within Women with Disabilities
Girls with Disabilities
Aging with Disability
Care-giving
Assistive devices
Sanitation
Data
Marginalized Populations within Women with Disabilities: Women with disabilities that also belong to other minority and marginalized groups, face a compounded effect of the unique challenges of each group, which further entrenches the exclusion they face.
Young Girls with Disabilities: Girls with disabilities are less likely to have access to health care services, education, and assistive devices as compared to boys with disabilities.
Aging with Disability: Aging with disability receives little attention in the development agenda. This affects issues such as health, economic status, safety, and care facilities for women with disabilities in advanced age.
Refugees: Participants raised the unique challenges women refugees with disabilities face due to inaccessible facilities and camps.
Care-giving: Care-giving is a frequently overlooked issue that can significantly impact the ability of women with disabilities, their caregivers, and their families to participate in society. Care-giving is perceived as women’s work. Participants discussed both the need for care-giving as well as the challenges women with disabilities may face as care givers themselves.
Assistive Devices and Assistive Animals: assistive devices and animals promote the independence of women with disabilities.
Sanitation for women with disabilities: The lack of accessible sanitation facilities, generate serious health and privacy problems for women with disabilities, especially in rural areas.
The Role of Data and Statistics: The issue of data and statistics created some disagreements among e-discussion participants. On one hand, they might help identify the needs of women with disabilities in certain communities. On the other hand, they may have been used as a reason to exclude women with disabilities from development programs.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

10. Other issues 2 Media Mental health
The Role of Media: Participants discussed the different portrayals of women with disabilities in the media and their negative or positive impact on women with disabilities.
Mental Health Issues: Women may be more frequently diagnosed with mental health conditions and placed in institutions. People who may need medication for mental health conditions face financial barriers and poor choice in multidisciplinary approaches to psychosocial issues. People with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions are often excluded from dialogue on disability issues generally.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

11. Recommendations Leading role in society Participation in development
Inclusion of a gendered disability dimension
Accessibility from project design
Disability awareness
Stories of WwD
Women with disabilities are the experts on their own issues and should play a lead role in educating others.
Women with disabilities need to be involved at every stage of project conceptualization, design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, at the program, community, national, and international levels.
They need to be involved not only as project beneficiaries or as advisors but also as employees and staff members at all levels, from front-line workers “in the field” all the way up to managerial level.
Mainstream programs, women’s organizations, and disability organizations should reach out to local organizations run by women with disabilities in the communities where they work.
Projects, programs, and policies also need to be designed with the need of women with disabilities in mind, in close consultation with women with disabilities themselves.
Infrastructure, services, and programs need to be designed to be accessible from the start, not as an after-thought.
Medical personnel, paramedics, gynecologists, general physicians, clinic workers, and other medical support staff should be more aware of the special needs of women with disabilities.
The stories of women with disabilities and accurate information about their sexuality should be collected and disseminated widely throughout the public.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

12. Recommendations 2 Self-determination Capacity building of wwd
Appropriate training of stakeholders
Inclusion of wwd in education
Accessible schools
Early identification of girls with disabilities
Indicators
The right for women with disabilities to have a say over their own bodies, bodily functions, and reproductive rights needs to be acknowledged and upheld.
Women with disabilities need to learn life and survival skills - about their bodies, where and how to report violence, and how to find peer support groups.
Both victim service providers and disability service providers need training in responding appropriately to victims with disabilities.
The Development agenda should more strongly prioritize including women and girls with disabilities in education – including recognizing the right of girls and women with disabilities to lifelong learning, from pre-school age through adulthood.
Schools should be accessible to everyone, using the principles of universal design.
Better systems are needed to enable the early identification and assessment of girls with disabilities.
National education plans, development indicators, and ongoing programs such as the Fast Track Initiative – Education for All should include the needs of girls with disabilities.
Employers need to be educated about the value of workers with disabilities so they will learn to recognize their ability to make needed contributions to their businesses.
Business and finance networks should be more actively inclusive of women with disabilities, including access to micro credit and other micro finance services.
Efforts on environmental issues need to be more inclusive of people with disabilities.
People in DPOs, NGOs, and community based organizations need training to understand how to interpret statistical information and use it effectively in mainstreaming disability in development.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict

13. Recommendations 3 Participatory research Media MDGs
Participatory Action Research can enable people with disabilities without a research background to be directly involved as researchers studying the issues that impact them
Media development organizations can help train journalists in reporting on disability issues, recruit and train journalists with disabilities, and educate media producers and agencies in the importance of producing news in accessible formats.
Organizations should leverage the historical momentum created by the ratification process of the CRPD to mainstream the issues of women with disabilities at the country level and within other organizations, and in efforts to promote the Millennium Development Goals.
3/27/2017
Our Forgotten Sisters: Women with Disabilities in Situation of Conflict