All governments should ensure that women and girls with disabilities are included in gender-based violence prevention and response programs, Human Rights Watch said today.
Ahead of International Women's Day, March 8, 2015, Human Rights Watch has published a resource on gender-based violence designed for people with disabilities.
Women and girls with disabilities are at increased risk of gender-based violence in their homes, schools, institutions, and the community at large. Nevertheless, women and girls with disabilities are often excluded from prevention programs, support services, and access to legal redress due to stereotypical views about their sexuality, physical and communication barriers, and lack of materials in accessible formats.
"Information on gender-based violence needs to reach the people who need it most, especially women and girls with disabilities," said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights director at Human Rights Watch.
She further said, "Women and girls with disabilities are too often the victims of violence, yet get too little information on where to go for help."
The resource, produced in easy to read language was developed in collaboration with disabled persons' organizations (DPOs) and gender-based violence service providers, especially in Zambia, where Human Rights Watch did recent research on the issue as part of a report on HIV and people with disabilities.
The resource shows how to recognize, prevent, and protect against gender-based violence, including by distinguishing between "good" and "bad" touch, and explains how to seek legal, medical, and psychosocial support. A supplementary document provides information on places where people with disabilities can seek help in Zambia.
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The World Health Organization estimates that 35 percent of women worldwide experience gender-based violence in their lifetime. Women and children with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable to violence. People with disabilities are up to three times as likely as others to be victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and rape.
They face multiple forms of discrimination, including on the basis of their gender and disability - making them more isolated, marginalized, and vulnerable to violence. Adults and children with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities are among the most vulnerable - with nearly four times the risk of experiencing violence.