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Today is the International Women’s Day. It is to remind people to fight for the rights of women. The rights of woman are more at risk than the rights of men, especially the rights of women with disabilities.

Today the international community celebrates International Women´s Day. The purpose is to both recognise the critical role women play in society as well as advocate for the fundamental rights of women, heedless of their differences such as nationality, ethnicity, economic and social status, and disability. Every year the United Nations give a theme to the International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is“Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty”.

USAID estimates that there are 300 million women with disabilities worldwide. This represents ten per cent of all women. Several statistical surveys have found that women with disabilities are among the poorest people in society. A big percentage of these women live in rural areas where access to facilities is difficult if not impossible. Moreover there is a 20% employment rate amongst women with disabilities, compared with 53% for men with disabilities. Poverty leads to exclusion. If you add intellectual to the girl – poor – disability trifecta, the odds of exclusion and discrimination arise exponentially.

Indeed, in its Preamble, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognises “that women and girls with disabilities are often at greater risk, both within and outside the home, of violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation”. Women and girls with intellectual disabilities are even more at risk since in many cases they cannot defend themselves or denounce the crime committed against them.

To fight this situation and ensure that girls and women with intellectual disabilities can fully and equally enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms, Inclusion Europe proposes the following lines of action:

• Awareness-raising of girls and women with intellectual disabilities about their rights.
• Empowerment training for girls and women with intellectual disabilities.
• Effective legal protection of girls and women with intellectual disabilities.
• Respect and highest attainable quality in the area of sexual and reproductive rights.
• Full and equal participation of girls and women with intellectual disabilities in the life of society.
• Awareness-raising of the main stakeholders about the situation of girls and women with intellectual disabilities.

However, in the entourage of people with disabilities, women and girls with disabilities are not the only ones ailed by poverty and exclusion, mothers are also greatly affected. Mothers are the primary carers for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. These women often do not have the same opportunities for employment and personal development as others. They also are more often subject to discrimination. because of their association with a person with disabilities. Unfortunately, the CRPD only addresses this issue in a very general or indirect manner.

To support these women, Inclusion Europe proposes the following principles:

• Prohibition of discrimination by association.
  An example of intellectual disabilities is when a mother is rejected for a job on the sole basis that she has a child with disabilities.
• Full recognition of and support for unpaid family care.

Since the first International Women’s Day celebrated in 1975, Europe has witnessed vast progress regarding equality and the consideration of women. However a lot of work still needs to be done. In the search for equality it is important not to forget the most vulnerable members of the female gender such as those with intellectual disabilities.

To know more about Inclusion’s Europe position on women and intellectual disability read this Position Paper.