WUNRN
European
MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION ON WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES - (2013/2065(INI))
Direct Link to Full 10-Page Document: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fNONSGML%2bCOMPARL%2bPE-514.581%2b01%2bDOC%2bPDF%2bV0%2f%2fEN
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
The European Parliament is the only directly-elected EU
body.
(2013/2065(INI)) -
DRAFT REPORT - 17.6.2013
EXPLANATORY
STATEMENT
Women with disabilities
are not only persons who are not capable of doing particular things, but most
of all they are women, most of all they are human beings. When talking about
them, we have to keep in mind that we are talking about citizens, female
citizens, and cannot be defined by their disabilities, in fact, they do not
want to. Every day, they face the same challenges and opportunities as other
women; they are friends, daughters, mothers, wives and employees. They have
various roles to endorse, as every woman does. They are talented in
multitudinous ways, skilled and enrich our society, which gains depth in
diversity. It is crucial to consider this positive contribution, appreciate and
promote it, and ensure that these women’s life plans are equally heard, equally
get the chance of accomplishment, just as those of women without
disabilities.Just as their fellow females, women with disabilities should have
a guaranteed right to lead a life characterised by personal decisions and
ideas. In order to facilitate this, social barriers need to be reduced and a
positive awareness of diversity needs to be created.
Women with disabilities
can participate in social life, on the personal as well as the overall level,
with various different (complementary) measures: architectural, content and
electronic accessibility, equal access to education and working environment,
non-discriminatory handling of female sexuality and maternity. The changes and
challenges of female life stages are of special importance: childhood,
adolescence, discovery of their own sexuality, maternity, menopause and older
age. In this context severe attention should be paid to childhood and
adolescence of women with disabilities, because in this context it is possible
to lay the foundation for a great number of positive developments in adulthood.
The establishment of coeducation clearly to endorse and to facilitate, decrease
social barriers and increase confidence. It is fundamental to broach the issue
of violence and exclusion in language and media in schools to help children and
young adults obtain a fair and equality-based language.
It is proven that women
with disabilities are at greater risk to experience violence than other women;
in patriarchy orientated societies the risk increases explicitly. Violence can
manifest itself in various forms: forced sexual acts and rape, forced
assignment to care facilities, lock up, intrusions in private spheres, forced
sterilisation, forced contraception, forced abortion (to name only a few
examples).
In general the involvement
of people with disabilities and NGOs in the creation of new norms should become
standard procedure, because it is the only way to act ‘with’ people with
disabilities and not ‘on’ them. Inclusion means to be able to live freely in a
society, to contribute to it; it is imperative to maintain and guarantee
minimum standards in the areas of citizens’ rights and human rights. Therefore
a clear and non-discriminatory definition of disability is fundamental, the use
of the definition of the UN-Convention of disabilities is highly recommended.
It is to be stated, that
women with disabilities are defined by multiple factors, disability being only
one of them; they have to be treated as equal and fully adequate citizens and
persons.PE514.581v01-00 10/10 PR\940318EN.doc Quite the opposite happens in the
areas of culture and media, concerning the fact that women with disabilities
are rarely featured and that such featuring would help to break down mental
barriers and limits.
Viewing disability as a
deficit is not accurate, but leads to an exclusive way of thinking that should
be prevented. Diversity is the base of any modern society; it can and should be
aspired. In 2002 38% of the people with a disability (aged 16-34) have earned
an income (nondisabled people: 64%), today in 2013 there are still not enough
opportunities for women with disabilities to partake in the labour market. It
is extremely important to enable every woman with a disability who can work to
carry out her plan to gain independence and be able to start her own career.
Due to multiple overlaying
discrimination women with disabilities are often in a considerably worse
situation than women without disabilities. This kind of unequal treatment has
to be banished, especially considering that a combinational discussion of
discrimination thematic is essential. A debate on the topic of women with
disabilities can and should not be administered without considering gender
mainstreaming and gender equality.
Concerning this connection
the effects of multiple discrimination are decreased and consciousness is
raised. In general a special focus should be placed on the elimination of
stereotypes and prejudices to understand that the development of a culture of
difference and diversity leads to great societal advantages. Especially in the
context of support to developing countries the needs and requirements of people
with disabilities have to be taken into account, because often even the respect
for basic human rights is lacking. 80 % of people with disabilities are living
in developing countries, which show the need for action. Women with
disabilities in developing countries are facing unique obstacles which often
lead to structural violence
The problem of structural
violence is to be taken in consideration separately and constitutes an area of
high influence of the European Union politics: On the European level of
standardsetting legal work it is possible to fight structural violence against
women with disabilities by using ‘soft instruments’ such as training courses,
initiatives to raise consciousness and information campaigns in general to
prohibit the expansion of prejudices and to increase the understanding of the
personal biographies of women with disabilities.
It is imperative to
promptly implement the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
to make the guaranteed rights of people with disabilities reality. Finally the
work of NGOs concerning women with disabilities and their importance for state
and civil society is to be emphasised.
We are facing the
challenge to actively include women with disabilities in society and enable
them to participate on equal terms. 15 % of the European population consists of
persons with disabilities; one in four Europeans has a family member with a
disability. These figures show the importance of acting up to our own high
expectations and create an environment friendly to every citizen in the European
Union on equal terms.
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