Women with disabilities: The EU’s role in pushing for inclusion in international cooperation”

In the world, an estimated one in five women live with disabilities. The prevalence of disability is actually higher among women than men (19 versus 12 per cent). In Europe, there are approximately 40 million women and girls with disabilities. Women and girls with disabilities face intersectional discrimination in all areas of life, including socio-economic disadvantages, social isolation, violence, forced sterilisation and abortion, little access to community services, low-quality housing, institutionalisation, inadequate health care and poor education. They are denial the opportunity to contribute and engage actively in society and they remain at the margins of decision-making. Women and girls with disabilities are also little included in the work on gender equality.

This event will showcase the work the EU is currently conducted on women with disabilities and how the EU can push for stronger inclusion in its international work. Recommendations will be made to further align to Sustainable Development Goal five (gender equity) and implement articles six (women with disabilities) and 32 (international cooperation) of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, which was ratified by the EU in 2010.

The EU will take the opportunity to showcase the work its doing in in international cooperation and present the two following project: “Building Partnerships for the SDGs - Empowering Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in India” and “Bridging the Gap” (with a focus on Sudan).

The event will gather leaders from disability movement, international cooperation organisations, women organisations and EU policy makers.

Please email: Marion Steff marion.steff@edf-feph.org to reserve your place.