Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)
WWDA-NEWS
Issue 2, 2012
© ISSN: 1836-7739
WWDA NEWS
Issue 2, 2012
Prepared by Carolyn Frohmader for Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)
Front Cover: Members of the CSW56 High Level Panel on ‘Rural Women and Girls With Disabilities’ held in New York, February 2012. From L to R: Stephanie Ortoleva (Women Enabled); Lois Herman (WURN); Helen Meekosha (WWDA); Myra Kovary (INWWD); Carol Pollack (CRPD Secretariat); Akiko Ito (CRPD Secretariat).
© Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) June 2012
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without written permission from Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA). All possible care has been taken in the preparation of the information contained in this document. WWDA disclaims any liability for the accuracy and sufficiency of the information and under no circumstances shall be liable in negligence or otherwise in or arising out of the preparation or supply of any of the information aforesaid.
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA)
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) is the peak organisation for women with all types of disabilities in Australia. WWDA is run by women with disabilities, for women with disabilities. It is the only organisation of its kind in Australia and one of only a very small number internationally. It represents more than 2 million disabled women in Australia and operates as a national disability organisation; a national women's organisation; and a national human rights organisation. WWDA is inclusive and does not discriminate against any disability. The aim of WWDA is to be a national voice for the needs and rights of women with disabilities and a national force to improve the lives and life chances of women with disabilities. WWDA is committed to promoting and advancing the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women with disabilities.
Our work is grounded in a rights based framework which links gender and disability issues to a full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. This rights based approach recognises that equal treatment, equal opportunity, and non-discrimination provide for inclusive opportunities for women and girls with disabilities in society. It also seeks to create greater awareness among governments and other relevant institutions of their obligations to fulfil, respect, protect and promote human rights and to support and empower women with disabilities, both individually and collectively, to claim their rights.
More information about WWDA can be found at the organisation’s extensive website: www.wwda.org.au
Previous Newsletters and Update Reports are available on the WWDA website at: www.wwda.org.au/bulletin.htm
If you have any questions, or would like more information on anything in this Newsletter, please email Carolyn at:
PO Box 605, Rosny Park, Tasmania 7018 AUSTRALIA
Ph: +61 3 62448288 Fax: +61 3 62448255
Email: Web: www.wwda.org.au
Join WWDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Women-With-Disabilities-Australia-WWDA/202081393153894
WWDA at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwda
WWDA NEWS
Issue 2, 2012
In This Issue:
A Word from the WWDA Acting President 4
Special Report: WWDA Delivers at High Level Panel on ‘Rural Women and Girls With Disabilities’ at UN 6
Women with disabilities meet with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women 18
New Project: ‘Voices against Violence: Assessing the Evidence on Violence against Women with Disabilities’ 22
Article on Sterilisation in marie claire Magazine 23
Channel Ten Program discusses Sterilisation of Women and Girls with Disabilities 24
WWDA Presents Workshop at International Domestic Violence Conference 25
‘Way with Words’ – By Margie Charlesworth 28
Disability in Indigenous communities: addressing the disadvantage 30
The 2nd World Assembly of Women with Disabilities 32
National Violence Plan Implementation Panel (NPIP) - Report from the Inaugural meeting 35
Resources 37
Join WWDA! 42
News Wanted For WWDA-NEWS! 42
Appendix 1: References & Endnotes 43
A Word from the WWDA Acting President
WWDA Acting President
Hello WWDA Members and friends,
Welcome to the latest edition of WWDA-News. As it always the case, WWDA has been extremely busy this past few months. Our advocacy work against forced sterilisation, and violence against women and girls with disabilities, is having significant impact, both domestically and overseas. In April, we helped to organise, and participated in, a Roundtable with Ms Rashida Manjoo, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. The Roundtable, with more than 25 women with disabilities and experts working in the field, provided a critical opportunity to have a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur around violence against women and girls with disabilities in Australia. Ms Manjoo, who met with us as part of her 10 day study tour of Australia, made special mention at the Roundtable of the high standard of WWDA’s contribution to the preparation phase of the UN Analytical Study on Violence Against Women and Girls with Disabilities.
Our work against forced sterilisation of girls and women with disabilities has seen significant media interest in the issue. marie claire magazine published a feature article on the issue, in its June 2012 edition. Channel Ten television program The Circle also discussed the issue in a live to air interview with disability activist Stella Young and Dr Margaret Spencer, from the intellectual Disability Rights Service. WWDA Executive Director Carolyn Frohmader continues to work on the issue at the international level, as part of her work as a member of the International Working Group on Forced Sterilisation.
The past few months have been difficult for WWDA as we have continued to navigate our way through a period of transition. Our national office is nearing the completion of its renovations, and Carolyn has done a great job in keeping all the balls in the air whilst we recruited a new administrative assistant. We are pleased to welcome Suzanne Boffey to the national WWDA office, who started with us in April and is already proving to be a great asset to the organisation.
In early May, we accepted the resignation of our President Sue Salthouse, who stepped down from the role as President and from the WWDA Management Committee, due to family reasons. On behalf of the members of WWDA, we thank Sue for the enormous contribution she has made to our organisation over the past decade. In August 2011, Sue’s dedication, enthusiasm and generosity was formally recognised, when she was awarded Life Membership of WWDA, joining a small group of esteemed WWDA members. We look forward to Sue’s continued involvement in WWDA as we continue on our journey.
This edition of WWDA-News includes a Special Report on the High Level Panel on ‘Rural Women and Girls With Disabilities’, held at the 56th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), in New York, in late February 2012. WWDA member and past-President, Associate Professor Helen Meekosha, did an extraordinary job representing us at this ground-breaking event, and we take this opportunity to thank her for her amazing advocacy work on our behalf.
As Acting WWDA President, I’d also like to make special mention of the efforts of our Executive Director Carolyn Frohmader. Sometimes people forget that WWDA is an organisation of only one full time worker, and one (very recent) part time admin assistant. I thank Carolyn for her leadership in steering us through a difficult few months, whilst maintaining the high standard and integrity of our work.
Margie Charlesworth
WWDA Acting President
Special Report: WWDA Delivers at High Level Panel on ‘Rural Women and Girls With Disabilities’ at United Nations
In the last issue of WWDA-News, we reported on WWDA’s work in late 2011 and early 2012 to help plan, organise and co-sponsor a High Level Panel on ‘Rural Women and Girls With Disabilities’ at the 56th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).[1] The High Level Panel on ‘Rural Women and Girls With Disabilities’ was held on Tuesday 28 February gave an overview of the situation of rural women with disabilities and explored a wide range of strategies that can enhance the empowerment of rural women with disabilities. The Panel was co-sponsored by the Government of Australia, the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Women Enabled, and the Women’s UN Report Network.
Helen Meekosha outside UN Headquarters, New YorkWWDA was represented on the Panel by our Board member and Past President, Associate Professor Helen Meekosha. Helen gave a presentation on ‘Rural Women & Girls With Disabilities: Economic Empowerment & Political Participation’ from the Australian perspective. In this edition of WWDA-News, we are pleased to be able to provide a copy of Helen’s presentation, along with copies of most of the presentations given at the High Level Panel on ‘Rural Women and Girls With Disabilities’.
The Panel was a significant event, as it was only the second time that a specific focus on disability has been discussed at any of the sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in the UN in all of its 56 years. The significance of this Panel for women with disabilities cannot be over-stated. On a broader advocacy level, it was also significant that this Panel was given such a high profile, with the opportunity of two governments sponsoring it (Australia and Sweden), with a consequent flow on effect to influencing some of the draft conclusions which were put forward to the CSW Committee, as well as contributing to the preparation of the 2013 UN High Level Meeting on Disability and Development.
Liz Broderick, Helen Meekosha & Penny Williams at CSW56Ms Akiko Ito (Chief, Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), gave the welcoming remarks. A song and dance performance was given by 10 women and girls with disabilities from rural areas of Bhutan, who had travelled to Thimpu to participate in the Panel via video conference. Ms Elizabeth Broderick (Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission and Australian delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women), and Mr Arvid Linden (Head of Division of Analysis, HANDISAM, Swedish Agency for Disability Policy and Coordination), both gave opening addresses. Presentations were given by Associate Professor Helen Meekosha (WWDA & UNSW); Ms Duptho Zam (English Teacher and Performing Artist, Royal Academy of Performing Arts of Bhutan and Disability rights Expert (via video conference); Ms Myra Kovary (International Network of Women With Disabilities) and Ms Lois A. Herman (Women’s UN Report Network). The panel was moderated by Ms Stephanie Ortoleva, Esq., (Senior Human Rights Legal Advisor, BlueLaw International, LLP).
Stephanie Ortoleva & Helen Meekosha at CSW56The High Level Panel on Rural Women and Girls with Disabilities event was encouragingly attended by many NGO constituents and government representatives from other countries. There were also many women with disabilities who attended this side event, which is significant, given the lack of access and encouragement to attend other CSW sessions. The Panel instigated much discussion, particularly from women from African countries, and resulted in further networking opportunities. Plans are afoot for organising a parallel NGO event for next year’s CSW, which will focus on violence against women.
WWDA would like to take this opportunity to thank the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) for providing a grant to assist with the costs of getting Helen to and from New York. We also acknowledge the support of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) for providing funding to enable Helen’s assistant (Ms Katrina Wong), to accompany her to CSW56. We would particularly like to thank Alison Aggarwal and Cristina Ricci of the AHRC for their support and encouragement in helping WWDA to plan and organise this amazing event; and Elizabeth Broderick (Sex Discrimination Commissioner) for her fantastic contribution to our panel, and her ongoing support of WWDA. And a special note of thanks to Katrina Wong, not only for the assistance she provided to Helen, but also for helping WWDA with logistics behind the scenes.
It is a pleasure to be able to provide WWDA-News readers with transcripts of some of the Panel presentations, and we thank the authors for sharing them with us.
Associate Professor Helen MeekoshaPresentation by Associate Professor Helen Meekosha to the High Level Panel on Rural Women & Girls With Disabilities: Economic Empowerment & Political Participation
I wish to acknowledge the prior owners of the land on which we meet today, the Native American people – the Lenape.
In addressing the topic of this session – economic empowerment and political participation of rural disabled girls and women – we need first to consider how we think about disability, gender and rurality. There are many types of disability, although often when we use the word 'disability' what immediately comes to mind are women who use wheelchairs for mobility or people who are blind or deaf.
As we can see from the Universal Access symbol is “not just a symbol of access, but of disability itself” (Ben-Moshe and Powell 2007). Ironically, that this symbol is rarely seen in rural and remote areas, tells a story about rural planning and the lack of encouragement for disabled people in rural areas to participate in civic life.
Many other conditions can fall under the category of disability and they include sensory, cognitive, developmental, communication, mobility and mental health conditions. Not all of these are visible and many women have to live with the ignorance of the wider community.
Secondly, disabled women have many identities and are in various relationships, which change during the life cycle. Disabled girls have different issues to older disabled women. Disabled women may be single, married, divorced and in a heterosexual or same-sex relationship. They may identify as transgender or transsexual. They may be unemployed, partially employed or in full-time work. They may live in urban areas, regional, rural or remote areas. They may be able to trace their kinship and families back a long way in the place they live.
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association (MDAASydney, Australia[2]
They may be indigenous people, who have been forced off their country but still retain a strong connection with their land. They may be immigrants in a settler society, such as the USA, Canada or Australia, who suffer from racial discrimination as well as all the deprivations and disavowal that are ever present for a disabled woman.