FIRE-August 2005

   FIRE reports on the global human rights efforts 
of women with disabilities

By Laura Hershey & Robin Stephens
Radio Feminista/Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE)

August 1, 2005


People with disabilities constitute approximately 10% of the world's population. Around 80% of all people with disabilities live in developing countries, and at least half are women. All told, there are an estimated 300 million women with disabilities worldwide, and 240 million of them live in the developing world. In most societies people with physical and mental impairments face disproportionate poverty, disenfranchisement, segregation and denial of basic rights to education, employment opportunities, health care, political participation and community access. Disabled women endure double discrimination based on both gender and disability.

Government delegates and NGO representatives are meeting at the United Nations again August 1-12 for the Sixth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. This process has resulted in a draft document which continues to evolve, and which is designed to guarantee full human rights to the world's disabled people.

Throughout this drafting process, women with disabilities have been organizing and advocating for full inclusion of gender issues in the treaty. Several proposals are being considered and debated. One group is urging adoption of an article specifically addressing disabled women's rights. Another group advocates "mainstreaming" gender throughout the entire convention, by articulating how each component affects women in particular. Some advocates favor a “twin-track" approach, to include both a separate article, and a gender analysis incorporated into the other articles.

Tune in to FIRE for reports, interviews, and analyses co-produced by Laura Hershey and Robin Stephens. Learn about the issues affecting disabled women worldwide, and hear the stories of some of the most active and influential women's advocates.

Key links:

Campaign: Towards Visibility of Disabled Women in the UN Convention (in German, English and Spanish) http://www.un-disabledwomen.org/

Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/adhoccom.htm

Human Rights and Disability (from OHCHR, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
http://www.unhchr.ch/disability/index.htm

"Towards Visibility of Women with Disabilities in the UN Convention," a discussion paper written by Dr. Sigrid Arnade and Sabine Häfner; edited and published by Disabled People's International .


Others may use all of part of this press release for redistribution but please give credit to Radio Feminista/Feminist International Radio Endeavour/FIRE. 

For more information, see FIRE’s Disabled Women's web space at: http://www.fire.or.cr/disabilities/notas/dis-home.htm or FIRE's home webpages in Spanish (www.radiofeminista.net) and English www.radiofeminista.net/indexeng.htm,  or write to oficina@radiofeminista.net.