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The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Accordingly, States must ensure that social protection programmes address the imbalances of power and the multiple forms of discrimination experienced by women and girls with disabilities. States should take steps to eliminate the barriers that prevent them from accessing social protection programmes and ensure that social protection systems take into account both disability-related and gender-related factors in the design and implementation of such programmes. Non-contributory schemes, in particular, play an important role, as women with disabilities are often excluded from the formal labour market. States should also acknowledge the role of women with disabilities as caregivers, including older women with disabilities, by providing them with appropriate assistance to perform care responsibilities without reinforcing patterns of discrimination and negative stereotyping.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls with disabilities face many difficulties in accessing adequate housing, health care, education, vocational training and employment, and are more likely to be institutionalized and experience poverty. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple forms of discrimination, and provides for their equal and full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also requires States to ensure that they have equal access to social protection and poverty reduction programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Social protection is a fundamental tool for achieving the proposed targets and goals, as mentioned in proposed goal 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere), 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) and 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries). In relation to persons with disabilities, goal 1 should be addressed in the short term by mainstreaming disability in all social protection and poverty reduction programmes - a task that remains a global challenge. Social protection should further be used as an important instrument for pursuing other proposed goals in the context of disability, including those of ensuring healthy lives and well-being, guaranteeing inclusive, equitable quality education, promoting lifelong learning and opportunities for all, and promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda highlights the importance of financing sustainable and nationally appropriate social protection systems with a focus on persons with disabilities, among others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- As women and girls with disabilities are at a higher risk of facing multiple forms of discrimination, States must pay special attention to guaranteeing their right to participate actively and directly in all decision-making processes affecting their lives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Representative organizations of persons with disabilities should promote the participation of women and girls with disabilities, as well as that of persons with disabilities from all population groups, as active members, in a spirit of pluralism and inclusiveness. While representative organizations of persons with disabilities may have different agendas and different engagement at various levels of government, this multiplicity of interests and strategies should not lead to the exclusion of specific groups of persons with disabilities. Only by embracing its diversity will the disability movement find its strength.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- States should reach out directly to women and girls with disabilities, especially when cultural and social backgrounds make it unsafe for them to participate in open consultations. States must also establish adequate measures to guarantee that the perspectives of women and girls with disabilities are fully taken into account and that they will not suffer any reprisals for expressing their viewpoints and concerns, especially in relation to sexual and reproductive rights, gender-based violence and sexual violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Because women and girls with disabilities have historically encountered many barriers to participation in public decision-making, due to power imbalances and multiple forms of discrimination, they have had fewer opportunities to establish or join organizations that can represent their needs as women and persons with disabilities. Consequently, despite the widespread human rights violations affecting them, the intersectionality between gender and disability-based issues is still not fully included in the work of the different stakeholders promoting the rights of persons with disabilities or the rights of women. Acknowledging this situation, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to take all appropriate measures to ensure their full development, advancement and empowerment. States must take steps to eliminate the barriers that prevent their participation in public decision-making and must ensure that all participatory mechanisms and bodies take into account both disability- and gender-related factors and the complex interrelationships between them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- The Sustainable Development Goals, which contain specific targets and references to sexual and reproductive health and rights and to persons with disabilities, constitute an excellent opportunity to achieve a coordinated engagement of international donors to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. According to article 32, paragraph 1 (a), of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, international donors must ensure that all international cooperation, including international development programmes in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights, is inclusive of and fully accessible to persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to take immediate steps to the maximum of their available resources, including those made available through international cooperation, to ensure that girls and young women with disabilities can fully exercise their sexual and reproductive rights and access quality sexual and reproductive health services. Government plans and budgets must incorporate sexual and reproductive health and rights policies and strategies and consider the particular needs of girls and young women with disabilities. Participatory budgeting processes and earmarked funds can help expand the allocation of public funds in that area. States should regularly monitor whether or not the resources available were used to progressively achieve the full realization of the sexual and reproductive health rights of girls and young women with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The Sustainable Development Goals, which call for a significant increase in the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by, inter alia, gender, age and disability (Goal 17), represent a unique opportunity to collect better data related to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. The short set of six questions on disability formulated by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics provides a well-tested method for disability data disaggregation in national censuses and surveys, including household and demographic and health surveys. In addition, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Washington Group on Disability Statistics have developed a module on child functioning, which covers children between the ages of 2 and 17 that can be incorporated into existing data collection efforts. The module is included in the current round of the UNICEF-supported multiple indicator cluster survey that will be implemented in more than 35 low- and middle-income countries during the next three years.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- States must collect appropriate information, including statistical and research data, to formulate and implement disability-inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights policies and programmes and monitor and evaluate progress in promoting and protecting the rights of girls and young women with disabilities. The lack of reliable and comparable statistical data on sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities is alarming, particularly in middle- and low-income countries. Academic literature on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls with disabilities is also scant and tends to focus on self-reported experiences and challenges rather than on positive interventions. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the upcoming United Nations Population Fund global study on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people with disabilities, which will also cover gender-based violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- States should be aware that the views of girls and young women with disabilities might collide with those of their families and caregivers. While organizations of parents of children with disabilities are instrumental in promoting and securing the autonomy and active participation of their children, States must always take into consideration the will and preferences of children with disabilities (see A/HRC/31/62, para. 36). Similarly, mainstream organizations of persons with disabilities might have different views from those of children with disabilities, therefore it is important to consult and engage directly with girls and adolescents with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- States must consult and involve children with disabilities, including girls and adolescents, in the implementation of sexual and reproductive health and rights as provided by articles 4, paragraph 3, and 7 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is crucial that girls and young women with disabilities be consulted, as they are the experts on their own lives. Girls and young women with disabilities, even the youngest, have the right to participate in policymaking, so they must be provided with disability- and age-appropriate support. Plan International has developed guidelines for consulting with children and young people with disabilities that contain practical suggestions on the matter.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- States must recognize the existing layers of identities within the disability community in order to adequately address the inequalities and intersectional discrimination experienced by girls and young women with disabilities. States should consider developing and implementing policies and practices targeting the most marginalized groups of girls and young women with disabilities (e.g., those with multiple or severe impairments and deaf-blind girls and young women) in order to accelerate or achieve de facto equality.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to provide access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services to all girls and young women with disabilities without discrimination. States must therefore eliminate discrimination against girls and young women with disabilities in law, policy and practice; ensure child- and gender-sensitive policies and programmes; and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the provision of those services. Moreover, States need to take measures to provide disability- and age-appropriate support and reasonable accommodation to girls and young women with disabilities so that they can access and enjoy those services and facilities on an equal basis with others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that all information and communication pertaining to sexual and reproductive health and rights are accessible to persons with disabilities, including through sign language, Braille, accessible electronic formats, alternative script, easy-to-read formats, and augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication.64 For instance, call centres to report cases of gender-based violence must be accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing girls and women through text messaging or other alternative methods. For example, Illinois Imagines has developed guides and other materials for rape crisis centres, disability service agencies and self-advocates that include guidance for prevention education programmes and picture guides about sexual assault exams and the rights of sexual violence survivors. The University of Tartu in Estonia has provided training for teachers on how to deliver comprehensive sexuality education in plain language so that children with intellectual disabilities can benefit equally from the lessons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure the full accessibility of all sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services. All public and private facilities and services open or provided to the public, including gynaecological and obstetric services, must take into account all aspects of accessibility for women with disabilities, including accessibility with regard to infrastructure, equipment and information and communications. Transport to reach those services must be accessible, as otherwise girls and young women with disabilities will continue to be obstructed from enjoying and exercising their sexual and reproductive health rights in practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to prevent, investigate, prosecute and try all acts of violence, including sexual violence, and to protect the rights and interests of the victims. National human rights institutions and civil society organizations can play a key role in carrying out inquiries and investigations on exploitation, violence or abuse against girls and young women with disabilities, and in assisting all women with disabilities in accessing legal remedies. For instance, the National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda trained 32 women with disabilities as paralegals with knowledge about the rights of women and girls with disabilities related to sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence. The paralegals offer peer-to-peer support with regard to reporting violations and conducting the necessary follow-up to ensure justice is achieved. States should consider reparations and redress mechanisms for girls and young women with disabilities who have been subjected to harmful practices, such as forced sterilization and forced abortion, particularly within institutions (see CEDAW/C/JPN/CO/7-8, paras. 24-25).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- States need to take all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures necessary to ensure the provision of procedural and age-appropriate accommodations for girls and young women with disabilities, which is essential to enabling their effective direct and indirect participation, including as witnesses, in all legal proceedings, from investigative and other preliminary stages to court hearings. All protection services must be age-, gender- and disability-sensitive. For instance, the Kenya Association for the Intellectually Handicapped provides training to law enforcement officials, health personnel and service providers on the provision of reasonable and procedural accommodations to persons with intellectual disabilities and on respect for their personal autonomy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure effective access to justice for girls and young women with disabilities who experience sexual and other forms of violence. Access to effective and accessible judicial and other appropriate remedies is critical to combating all forms of exploitation, violence or abuse against girls and young women with disabilities in the public and private spheres. States must eliminate all restrictions preventing girls and young women with disabilities from accessing justice, including restrictive rules on legal standing on the basis of age and disability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- States must provide information and assistance to families of girls and young women with disabilities in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Families may need assistance in understanding their child’s sexuality, ways to support their sexual and reproductive health needs and ways to avoid, recognize and report instances of sexual exploitation, violence and abuse. Studies have shown that training can change the attitudes of parents towards the sexuality of their children with disabilities and improve their confidence in talking to them about sexuality. Parents and family members need guidance on understanding the importance of sexuality education and respecting their children’s right to express their views freely, which will help them overcome fears about the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse of girls and young women with disabilities. Families should be involved not just as recipients of training but as participants of awareness-raising initiatives to modify their own attitudes and practices in relation to their children with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- States should train health-care personnel, teachers, community workers and other public officials on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. All primary health-care workers dealing with sexual and reproductive health, particularly in rural and remote areas, must be adequately trained, prepared and supported in their work. For example, in Guwahati, India, a team of service providers was trained to provide support to young persons with disabilities with regard to accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services and identifying sexually abusive behaviours. The adoption of technical guidelines on how to provide adequate sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services to girls and young women with disabilities is recommended. In Uruguay, for example, the government developed a guide on sexual and reproductive health and rights of persons with disabilities that has been distributed to all health centres across the country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- States need to provide comprehensive and non-discriminatory sexuality education to girls and young women with disabilities, both within and outside school (see A/65/162, paras. 62 and 87). It should include information about self-esteem and healthy relationships; sexual and reproductive health, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases; the prevention of sexual and other forms of exploitation, violence and abuse; stigma and prejudices against persons with disabilities; gender roles; and human rights. Indeed, sexuality education has been found to be effective in improving the sexual knowledge and skills of youth with disabilities, and in reducing sexual violence against them. States must ensure that their sexuality education programmes are inclusive of girls and young women with disabilities and their specific needs, and that they are made available in accessible and alternative communication formats. Peer-education programmes are effective ways to enhance knowledge and skills with regard to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that sexual and reproductive health care is provided as close as possible to the communities where girls and women with disabilities live. Distance from/to health-care facilities in rural and remote areas constitutes a significant barrier to persons with disabilities owing to poverty, the absence of accessible and affordable transport and the lack of support. States must ensure that their rural development strategies include measures to promote access to quality sexual and reproductive health care for girls and women with disabilities, including community-based strategies and outreach services (e.g., mobile clinics, health caravans, telemedicine and phone-based strategies).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Sexual and reproductive health care must be provided for free or at an affordable cost to all girls and young women with disabilities, including access to products and medicines. Universal health coverage can increase their access to quality sexual and reproductive health care. Social protection systems also help to address the additional costs that girls and young women with disabilities face when accessing sexual and reproductive health care, and to facilitate support services for those who might need it (see A/70/297, paras. 4-9, and A/HRC/34/58, para. 68). States must also ensure that girls and young women with disabilities benefit from the same range and quality of sexual and reproductive health services and programmes as other women and girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The rights of and needs of girls and young women with disabilities must be mainstreamed and addressed by States in all policies and programmes on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Many States have a range of policies and strategies that specifically address both the rights of persons with disabilities and sexual and reproductive health and rights, but those are usually disconnected and do not include a child, youth or gender perspective. Moreover, where policies and strategies identify persons with disabilities as key vulnerable groups, there is generally little focus on the specific challenges faced by girls and young women with disabilities. States must ensure that their health-care systems and services meet the specific sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- States must immediately repeal all legislation and regulatory provisions that allow the administration of contraceptives to and the performance of abortion, sterilization or other surgical procedures on girls and young women with disabilities without their free and informed consent, and/or when decided by a third party. Furthermore, States should consider adopting protocols to regulate and request the free and informed consent of girls and young women with disabilities with regard to all medical procedures. Colombia, for example, recently adopted regulations for the delivery of sexual and reproductive health services to persons with disabilities, which include references to the provision of reasonable accommodation and support in decision-making. Laws permitting substituted decision-making and involuntary treatment of persons with disabilities must also be revoked.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure a supportive legislative and regulatory framework for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. Existing general laws and regulations that restrict the free access of girls and women to sexual and reproductive health services, including by requiring spousal or parental consent or setting a minimum age, should be amended to facilitate universal and equitable access to sexual and reproductive health information and services. Narrow definitions of sexual violence, including sexual assault and rape, should be reviewed to include all forms of violence experienced by girls and young women with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- States can take a number of measures to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities, including by reviewing their legal and policy frameworks; taking concrete measures in the areas of education and information, access to justice, accessibility, non-discrimination and participation; and by allocating specific budgets for their implementation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Physical and communication barriers in the justice system hinder access to justice by girls and young women with disabilities and their ability to seek and obtain redress. The barriers include lack of accessibility and reasonable and procedural accommodations, such as sign language interpretation, alternative forms of communication and support services that are age- and gender-sensitive. For example, the lack of provision of sign language interpretation can significantly limit the chances of success of deaf applicants. Moreover, owing to prejudices and stereotypes, courts commonly discount the testimony of girls and young women with disabilities in sexual assault cases, from questioning whether girls and young women with intellectual disabilities can understand the oath when testifying to discrediting the testimony of blind witnesses because they are not “able” to know/perceive the sequence of events. Courts often also fail to develop child-friendly proceedings adapted to the particular circumstances of girls with disabilities, including the provision and delivery of gender-sensitive and child-friendly information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph