Disability Rights Essential in Gender Equality Campaigns

The theme for the 2012 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and Disaster Risk Management strategies must be considered inclusive of the rights of women with disabilities, says Angeline Chand of the Pacific Disability Forum, in her contribution to the development of a regional civil society statement by FemLINKPacific for the annual CSW meeting:

"As you are aware women with disabilities face many challenges in the rural
areas and also live in extreme poverty."

Chand also is emphasizing the need for a women's human rights approach to Disaster Risk Management strategies: "Women with disabilities are more vunerable in times of disaster as one needs to consider access to the evacuation centres as well as access to the facilities in these centres."

Through FemLINKPacific's "Women's Weather Watch" campaign, the organisation has continued to advocate for the specific needs of all women and girls to be taken into account in the design, delivery and monitoring of humanitarian assistance and the management of evacuation centres and Chand agrees, stressing that all humanitarian assistance must also consider the needs of persons with disabilities:
"The packs given to people at these centres need to include supplies for women with disabilities. The risk of them being physically or sexually abused at these centre are higher," she added.

Access to transport and the built environment, information and communication remain an ongoing rights challenge she says Chand:

"Disability needs to be looked as a human rights issue where all programmes
and plan need to be inclusive of women with disabilities."

Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, Executive Director, FemLINKPacific (www.femlinkpacific.org.fj)

ENDS