WUNRN
Women Enabled
INDIA - A YEAR AFTER THE
DELHI GANG RAPE, WHAT HAS CHANGED FOR WOMEN & GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES?
On December 16, 2012, a brutal crime sent shock waves across India and throughout the world. The issue of violence against women was thrown into the spotlight. But the violence against women with disabilities only received minimal attention during this debate.
The Indian Government appointed the Justice Verma Committee to consider what amendments to Indian law were necessary. Women Enabled, Inc. submitted Recommendations to this Committee, encouraging that specific provisions must address violence against women with disabilities. India later enacted the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013 to address the long history of violence following this brutal rape.
Regrettably, this new law fell short of the needed changes, since it fails to incorporate several significant concerns regarding women with disabilities:
Provision of adequate and appropriate counseling facilities for women with disabilities
Rehabilitation for women with disabilities after sexual and gender-based violence
Supervision and monitoring of institutions in which women and girls with disabilities live to ensure that complaints of violence are addressed
Provision of training for law enforcement officials and judges regarding violence against women and girls with disabilities
Data collection (desegrated by both disability and gender) and analysis of crimes of sexual and gender-based violence against women with disabilities
Safety of women and girls with disabilities is central to their economic empowerment and thus essential for India's development.
Women enabled, Inc. will travel to India in January 2014 and, incolaboration with our partner organizations in India, we will provide training to womens rights organizations and disability rights organizations regarding violence against women with disabilities and how these organizations can more effectively collaborate to address this pervasive violence, as documented in our report Forgotten Sisters A Report on Violence Against Women With Disabilities worldwide. In 2014 we hope to expand this work to other countries. Consider partnering with us today!
Thanks for your ongoing support of women and girls with disabilities.
Stephanie Ortoleva
President, Women Enabled