Manifesto of the Third European Conference: Women with Disability Victims of Violence. What to do?

Falerna, Calabria, 16. - 18. November 2001
DPI Italy, IES Spain, bifos Germany, DPI Europe

We, more than seventy women with different disabilities from 16 European countries and one African country, gathered in Falerna, Calabria to exchange experiences on violence and discrimination.

We state that the conditions for violence and discrimination are the same in all countries of Europe. In view of the similar structures, disabled women are subjected to massive human rights violations without regard to their age, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, class and religious or other status.

We no longer accept being objects of violence and discrimination, and we insist on the respect and the protection of our human rights. We demand that all governments take the necessary measures to avoid wars or riots. Disabled people and especially disabled women suffer even more from the effects of wars.

We demand:

all countries reaffirm their commitment to the UN-standard-rules on the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities and amend these rules with respect to the special needs of disabled girls and women
extensive anti-discrimination legislation with regard to the special needs of disabled girls and women
programs, actions and initiatives that impact on disabled people and women, and that these measures incorporate the human rights of disabled women and girls, and provide financial support for these programs
that all official documents, e.g. of the United Nations concerning women, incorporate the special issues of disabled women and demand action

Violence

We demand:

to ameliorate the living conditions of disabled girls and women
in education,- professional training and professional-life
- in professional activities
- in self-sustaining activities by easy access to grants and loans economic independence, be it by employment or by basic pensions paid by the state
research and gender specific statistics in order to take the necessary actions
the analyzing of the stories of disabled women in order to develop strategies to
hange their living conditions
representation of interests of disabled women within institutions
accessibility of all women´s centers such as women´s shelters, counseling agencies against sexual violence, women´s projects
accessibility to counseling and information on rights and possibilities
education for disabled women on their body and their sexuality
awareness campaigns on all forms of violence to which disabled women are subjected
special attention for disabled women who have problems communicating and therefore have problems being believed
financed prevention - programs against sexual violence
financed self-defense-training courses and self-assurance training courses
training for female disabled self-defense-trainers
to collect cases of violence against disabled girls and women, to publish them and to take legal action
effective legal measures to punish sexual violence against disabled girls and women

Bioethics

We demand:

that our opinion is heard concerning bioethics - prenatal diagnostics and prenatal selection, sterilization and genetics - that disabled women are represented on all boards regarding bioethics
counseling agencies for parents which inform on and reflect the real experience of disability, the qualities and the perspectives. The counseling has to be done by medical professionals together with disabled people with different disabilities
to abolish all discriminating laws, especially with regard to selective abortion and sterilization

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