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Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- In her thematic reports, the Special Rapporteur has underscored the importance of ensuring a gender perspective in all interventions related to persons with disabilities, stressing the significant additional barriers that women and girls with disabilities encounter that can prevent them from the full enjoyment of their rights. As international and national efforts on the rights of persons with disabilities have too often failed to take into account a gender perspective, it is urgent that the multifaceted discrimination, marginalization and compounded human rights violations that women and girls with disabilities face in most societies be addressed (see A/HRC/28/58, para. 19 (d)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- 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. 3
- Paragraph text
- The present report focuses on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. The term “girls with disabilities” refers to women with disabilities below the age of 18 years, whereas the term “young women with disabilities” refers to women between 15 and 24 years of age. The Special Rapporteur stresses that those women face significant challenges in making autonomous decisions with regard to their reproductive and sexual health, and are regularly exposed to violence, abuse and harmful practices, including forced sterilization, forced abortion and forced contraception. She recalls that States have an obligation to invest in the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities, and to end all forms of violence against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- 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. 29
- Paragraph text
- The forced sterilization of girls and young women with disabilities represents a widespread human rights violation across the globe. Girls and young women with disabilities are disproportionately subjected to forced and involuntary sterilization for different reasons, including eugenics, menstrual management and pregnancy prevention. Women with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, as well as those placed in institutions, are particularly vulnerable to forced sterilization. Despite the limited data on current practices, studies show that the sterilization of women and girls with disabilities continues to be prevalent, and up to three times higher than the rate for the general population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- 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. 31
- Paragraph text
- Other medical procedures or interventions that are often performed without the free and informed consent of girls and young women with disabilities include forced contraception and forced abortion. Contraception is often used to control menstruation at the request of health professionals or parents. Moreover, while the contraceptive needs of girls and young women with disabilities are the same as those without disabilities, they receive contraception more often by way of injection or through intrauterine devices rather than orally, as it is less burdensome for families and service providers. In addition, girls and young women with disabilities are frequently pressured to end their pregnancies owing to negative stereotypes about their parenting skills and eugenics-based concerns about giving birth to a child with disabilities. During official country visits, the Special Rapporteur has received information about compulsory regular gynaecological checks and the use of forced abortion in institutions as a way to contain the institution’s population.
- 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. 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. 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. 25
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities frequently have limited access to sexual and reproductive health-care services. Common barriers to accessing those services include negative and hostile attitudes among service providers; the absence of physical accessibility with regard to buildings and equipment (e.g., exam tables and diagnostic equipment); the lack of information in accessible formats (e.g., in Braille or plain language); communication barriers (e.g., the lack of training for service providers on communicating with young women and girls with intellectual disabilities and the inability to use sign language); relatives and caregivers acting as gatekeepers to information and services; the lack of accessible transportation to or from services; the affordability of services; and the isolation of girls and young women with disabilities in institutions, camps, family homes or group homes. Moreover, many women and girls with disabilities report that their specific needs and expectations are not met by gynaecological services.
- 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. 9
- Paragraph text
- For women with disabilities, disability inclusion and gender equality cannot be achieved without addressing their sexual and reproductive health and rights. In particular, girls and young women with disabilities are able to develop their own identities and realize their full potential when their sexual and reproductive health needs and rights are met. That contributes to ensuring their health and well-being, reducing the existing gaps in their access to education and employment and achieving their empowerment. When those needs and rights are not met, they are exposed to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, gender-based violence and sexual abuse, child marriage and other harmful practices that hamper their participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- 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. 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. 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. 17
- Paragraph text
- While attention to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women with disabilities increased following the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development of 1994 and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995, it is in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that States and the international human rights system restated their commitment to promote and protect the rights of girls and young women with disabilities in that area. For example, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued a general comment on the right to sexual and reproductive health with specific references to persons with disabilities, including accessibility and reasonable accommodation. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child have also highlighted the importance of ensuring sexual and reproductive health services and ending sexual violence and harmful practices against women and girls with disabilities. The special procedures of the Human Rights Council have also addressed the issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls with disabilities, including recent reports by the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health with regard to the rights of adolescents (see A/HRC/32/32, paras. 86 and 94), the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment focused on torture in health-care settings (see A/HRC/22/53, paras. 48 and 57-70), the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, with regard to violence against women with disabilities (A/67/227) and the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice focused on the issue of discrimination against women with regard to health and safety (see A/HRC/32/44, paras. 45-47).
- 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. 18
- Paragraph text
- Stigma and stereotypes play a significant role in limiting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities. The sexuality of persons with disabilities is usually considered a taboo topic. Relatives, teachers and health-care providers are generally anxious, untrained and unconfident about discussing sexuality with them. Moreover, there is a prevalent assumption that persons with disabilities, particularly girls and young women with disabilities, are either asexual or hypersexual. Those stigmas are particularly strong in the cases of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. Empirical studies show, however, that young people with disabilities have the same concerns and needs with regard to sexuality, relationships and identity as their peers, and have similar patterns of sexual behaviour.
- 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. 13
- Paragraph text
- Sexual and reproductive health, human rights and sustainable development are all interconnected. The Sustainable Development Goals explicitly call for ensuring “universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights”, and include targets related to that under Goal 3, Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; Goal 4, Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; and Goal 5, Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. In addition, Goal 5 stresses that all forms of discrimination and violence against girls and women (including those with disabilities) must be eliminated. Investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights saves lives and empowers girls and young women with disabilities. Protecting and promoting their sexual and reproductive health and rights should therefore be a top priority for States.
- 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. 27
- Paragraph text
- The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among youth with disabilities, including girls and young women with disabilities, is of concern. Evidence shows that children and youth with disabilities have a similar or increased risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections compared with other youth, while girls with disabilities experience higher rates than boys with disabilities. However, youth with disabilities, including girls, are less likely to receive information about the prevention of HIV/AIDS or to be given condoms or other methods to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Evidence suggests, for example, that HIV testing is lower among youth with disabilities (men and women) than among the general population. Generally, girls and young women with disabilities are not the target of prevention campaigns on sexually transmitted infections and cancers. The issue is particularly serious for those who are deaf or deaf-blind, who are traditionally excluded from all mainstream information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- 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. 28
- Paragraph text
- The pervasive misconception that adolescents, both with and without disabilities, lack the capacity to make autonomous decisions about their own health care is a major barrier to girls and young women with and without disabilities when they attempt to access sexual and reproductive health information and services. Many States legally limit the ability of adolescents to make autonomous choices about their sexual and reproductive health and rights by requiring parental notification or consent prior to the provision of information and services, or by permitting health-care providers to deny reproductive health information, goods and services to adolescents. Moreover, for young women with disabilities over legal age, legislation restricting their legal capacity on the basis of disability and misconceptions about their perceived lack of capacity prevent many of them from making autonomous decisions about sexual and reproductive health-care services. Those restrictive circumstances result in an impenetrable barrier for girls and young women with disabilities, especially for those requiring support to express their will and preferences, since such support is usually provided by the family. Consequently, in many cases, girls and young women with disabilities have no control over their own sexual and reproductive lives, as decisions are taken for them under the paternalistic guise of “for their own good” (see A/67/227, para. 36). Denying access to sexual and reproductive health care to girls and young women with disabilities is a form of violence, which also exposes them to the risks of unwanted pregnancy, early marriage and school dropout.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 15
- Paragraph text
- The Convention addresses the rights of girls and women with disabilities in a cross-cutting manner, adopting a twin-track approach. On one hand, it includes specific articles on women and children with disabilities (see arts. 6 and 7); on the other, it refers to them in the general principles and other substantive articles (see arts. 3, 4, 8, 13, 16, 18, 23, 25 and 30). Article 6 recognizes that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discriminations and requires States to adopt measures to ensure their full and equal enjoyment of rights, as well as their full development, advancement and empowerment. States must systematically mainstream the interests and rights of girls with disabilities in and across all national action plans, strategies and policies concerning women, childhood and disability, as well as in their sectoral plans. They must also target and monitor action aimed specifically at girls with disabilities, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- 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
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities belonging to groups that have been historically disadvantaged or discriminated against, such as indigenous peoples, religious and ethnic minorities, poor or rural populations, migrants and refugees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, experience multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination in the exercise of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. For example, indigenous girls and women with disabilities face a higher risk of experiencing early marriage, sexual violence and unwanted pregnancy. Girls with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, also encounter significant barriers to asserting their sexual orientation because parents and guardians often deny and supress their views.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Girls with disabilities are also likely to be proposed for marriage in regions and communities where child marriage occurs. Indeed, families are more prone to force girls with disabilities into marriage because they see it as a way to ensure long-term security and protection for their children. In addition, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has strongly condemned the practice of female genital mutilation affecting girls and women with disabilities in a number of countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
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. 20
- Paragraph text
- Dominant patriarchal assumptions of a woman’s role as primarily that of a wife and mother also hinder girls and young women with disabilities from living healthy sexual and reproductive lives. Because girls and young women with disabilities are perceived to be less likely to become, or be capable of becoming, spouses, mothers or caregivers, families often pay less attention to them than to other family members, thereby deepening gender inequalities. Likewise, the prevalent societal idea of beauty affects many girls and young women with disabilities, who see themselves as unattractive and unworthy. The prevalence of such models and views can have a deeply rooted impact on girls and young women with disabilities, as they may perceive themselves as incapable of fulfilling those models and views, creating a hard-to-break cycle of low expectations and relegation by their families and society. Some young women with disabilities report that stigma about disability makes them willing to accept a partner who might mistreat them.
- 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. 30
- Paragraph text
- While United Nations human rights instruments, mechanisms and agencies have recognized that the forced sterilization of persons with disabilities constitutes discrimination, a form of violence, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the practice is still legal and applied in many countries. Across the globe, many legal systems allow judges, health-care professionals, family members and guardians to consent to sterilization procedures on behalf of persons with disabilities as being in their “best interest”, particularly for girls with disabilities who are under the legal authority of their parents. The practices are often conducted on a purported precautionary basis because of the vulnerability of girls and young women with disabilities to sexual abuse, and under the fallacy that sterilization would enable girls and young women with disabilities who are “deemed unfit for parenthood” to improve their quality of life without the “burden” of a pregnancy. However, sterilization neither protects them against sexual violence or abuse nor removes the State’s obligation to protect them from such abuse. Forced sterilization is an unacceptable practice with lifelong consequences on the physical and mental integrity of girls and young women with disabilities that must be immediately eradicated and criminalized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Many girls and young women with disabilities do not have access to information and education about sexual and reproductive health and rights and related services. Several studies found that youth with disabilities, especially girls and young women with intellectual disabilities, have low levels of sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health and rights knowledge, including information with regard to the prevention and transmission of HIV. The lack of inclusive education prevents girls and young women with disabilities from accessing comprehensive sexuality education, as those programmes are usually not available in special education settings. In addition, comprehensive sexuality education is not always delivered in accessible formats and alternative languages, and very often it does not address disability-specific needs. Stigma and stereotypes about female sexuality can also lead to the exclusion of girls and young women with disabilities from existing comprehensive sexuality education programmes by their parents, guardians and teachers. There is a general lack of guidance for families and teachers on how to talk about sexuality and equality with girls and young women with disabilities.
- 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
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- There is a worrisome and growing number of cases of surgical procedures and hormonal treatments intended to inhibit the growth of girls and young women with severe impairments. Hysterectomy, for example, is regarded as an effective way to avoid menstruation management,42 and it is justified on the discriminatory presumption that girls and young women with disabilities cannot handle the pain, discomfort and trauma of menstruation — an argument not applicable to girls and women without disabilities. Oestrogen treatment is also being increasingly administered for “growth-attenuation therapy”, aiming to inhibit girls’ entry into puberty and reduce their final height and weight in order to facilitate care. Those practices constitute gross human rights violations that go well beyond patronizing and infantilizing; they prioritize the interests of caregivers to the detriment and denial of a person’s dignity and integrity. As the Committee on the Rights of the Child has emphasized, the interpretation of a child’s best interests cannot be used to justify practices that conflict with the child’s human dignity and right to physical integrity. Stunting a girl’s growth does not represent, by any means, an appropriate response to the lack of support that families may encounter in providing assistance to their girls 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
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- General services, such as education, employment, justice and health, as well as other community services and social protection programmes, must consider the provision of support to persons with disabilities. Similarly, programmes to end domestic violence should include appropriate forms of gender- and age-sensitive assistance and support for girls and women with disabilities. States should budget and plan for such measures when designing policies and programmes to ensure that support for persons with disabilities is available from the start.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph