A Focus on Women with Disability
Post 2016 National Inquiry on RH, the Commission together with UNFPA
focused on strengthening programs for women with disabilities (WWDs). This
focus on the sector stemmed from the Inquiry findings which highlighted the
barriers faced by women with disabilities in accessing RH information, services,
and commodities. The identified barriers during the 2016 Inquiry included
the inaccessibility of RH information, services, and commodities for women
with disability, the stigma and discriminatory practices against women with
disability and their sexuality, as well as practices that exclude women with
disability on crucial decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health
and rights. Discriminatory practices and stigma from institutions and health
service providers towards WWDs were also documented.
Addressing the issues raised in part, disability peer action groups were
capacitated on reproductive health and rights and learning sessions among
WWDs were conducted by the Commission and UNFPA in 2017. A module
was also developed on Access to Reproductive Justice for women with
disabilities. Through working with women with disabilities and creating spaces
for empowerment, the partnership of CHR and UNFPA resulted in better
understanding of the challenges faced by women and girls with disabilities and
strengthened advocacy among WWDs through the peer action groups learning
session.
Continuing the effort of focusing on women with disabilities, the Commission
undertook a National Inquiry on the Access to Reproductive Health and Rights
of WWDs from April to November 2019.
free or affordable health care and programmes provided to other persons,
including in the area of sexual and reproductive health and population-based
public health programmes.” While Article 23 (1) requires states to provide
“effective and appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against
persons with disabilities in all matters relating to marriage, family, parenthood
and relationships, on an equal basis with others, so as to ensure that persons
with disabilities, including children, retain their fertility on an equal basis with
others.”1
Further strengthening international framework and responses to the sexual and
reproductive health rights (SRHR) of women with disabilities is the adoption
of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The SDGs is a potent tool in
advancing the rights of women with disabilities, with its call to ‘leave no one
behind’ and the targets under Goal 5 (gender equality) particularly focusing
on ‘addressing the lack of access to sexual and reproductive health and rights’
among women and girls with disability.2
Two international issuance further bolster SRHR; the first pertains to the 29
August 2018 joint statement of the UN CEDAW Committee and the Committee
on the UNCRPD titled “Guaranteeing sexual reproductive health and rights
for all women, in particular women with disabilities.” The declaration stressed
a human rights-based approach to sexual and reproductive health, one that
‘acknowledges that women’s decisions on their own bodies are personal and
private, and places the autonomy of the woman at the center of policy and lawmaking related to sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion.’
Another important statement was also jointly issued by the Committee on
the UNCRPD and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions
(GANHRI) committing to work together towards strengthened monitoring and
data collection on persons with disability, including women with disability.
Reproductive Health and Women with Disabilities
Internationally, the protection of the rights of persons with disability has
gained ground through the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disability (UNCRPD). The said Convention explicitly oblige states
to ensure reproductive health and rights of persons with disability. Article 25
mandates states to provide PWDs with same “range, quality and standard of
Continuing Challenges and Barriers to RH of WWDs
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability
UN Women. Making SDGs Count for Women and girls with disabilities. http://www.unwomen.
org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2017/making-sdgs-countfor-women-with-disabilities.pdf?la=en&vs=2823
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