The European Disability Forum (EDF) is an independent NGO that represents the interests of 80 million Europeans with disabilities. EDF is the only European platform run by persons with disabilities and their families. EDF was created in 1996 by its member organizations to make sure decisions concerning disabled people are taken with and by disabled people.
During the General Assembly of the European Disability Forum in Budapest on 28-29th May 2011, following a proposal by the EDF Women’s Committee, 2nd Manifesto on the Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities in the European Union: A toolkit for activists and policymakers was adopted.
This 2nd Manifesto is divided into eighteen thematic areas, each of which focuses on one of the articles in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD ) and attempts to fulfill five key goals:
– outline the current situation faced by women and girls with disabilities in the area covered,
– set forth their demands in terms of direct attention,
– suggest areas for improvement in communities,
– propose areas where study and research is needed to gain a clear understanding of the specific situation women and girls with disabilities find themselves in,
– and briefly present an analysis of the key issues related to legislation in the area in question.
Although chapter 16 deals with the intersectionality of relevant factors related to gender and disability and the manifesto includes specific chapters addressing some of these, throughout the document there are many references to girls, older women, accessibility and violence against women, among others, which are looked at from different approaches.
Furthermore, in order to address all the issues and areas covered in the different areas systematically and in order, in many cases the chapters are split into sections in line with the different UNCRPD articles covered or a natural stratification by topic. So, for example, with regards to accessibility the authors have attempted to deal specifically with gender issues in relation to designing the built and urban environment, transport, access to information and communication, and access to goods and services.
In the same way, when violence against women is addressed, they have include prevention, care for victims and their recovery, legislative measures required, and studies and research which should be undertaken. And in health, for instance, they reflect upon primary health care, sexual and reproductive health, health care in cases of violence against women, and mental health. These three areas should suffice as examples of their modus operandi.
Whilst at present the 2nd Manifesto is available in English, French and Spanish (the Spanish version is the original), translations to other languages are in the pipeline to ensure the message reaches all corners of the European Union. It is recommended not only for those involved in the disability and women’s movements, but also and in particular to political agents, the professional sectors engaged with disability and society in general.
More information at this link.
