Women Enabled International (WEI) works at the intersection of women's rights and disability rights to advance the rights of women and girls with disabilities around the world. Working in collaboration with women with disabilities rights organizations and women's rights organizations Globally, WEI fosters cooperation across movements to increase international attention to and strengthen human rights standards on issues such as violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and rights, access to justice, education, legal capacity, and humanitarian emergencies. Our logo is the woman symbol ♀ with the letters 'WE' inside the circle.
WEI accountABILITY toolkit
Women Enabled International presents a new toolkit that empowers organizations which advocate for the rights of women with disabilities and assists them in using available U.N. human rights mechanisms. Available in English and Spanish.
Learn more/download free toolkit
WEI Fact Sheets
English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese,
and Easy Read formats.
An overview of frequent violations of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and of the right to be free from Gender-Based Violence for women and girls with disabilities, and examples of what governments must do to realize these rights
WEI participated in the 62nd Annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62), "Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls, " which was held at the UN Headquarters in New York City, 12–23 March 2018. Pictured above (l-r) are Khawla Wakkaf, Juan Jaime Pardo, Si Kailian, Stephanie Ortoleva, Suzannah Phillips, Anastasia Holoboff, Amanda McRae, and Luci Prosapio. More information about WEI's participation and side events
Interactive Global Map of Advocates
Find organizations in most countries worldwide working for the rights of disabled women and girls and aligned women’s rights organizations, disability rights organizations, academic institutions and more!
WEI's Global Map is a groundbreaking interactive map of organizations that advocate for the rights of women and girls with disabilities. Released on International Women's Day in 2016, it has grown to include over 600 organizations.
July 31, 2018 ONE.pl and WEI Submission to the CRPD Committee for its Review of Poland. This submission documents a range of human rights violations against women and girls with disabilities in Poland—from abusive sexual and reproductive health care to lower rates of employment and education, higher rates of gender-based violence, and invisibility in public life, among many others—and provides recommendations to the CRPD Committee for its Sept. 4-5 review of Poland.
July 31, 2018 WEI and South Africa Partners Submission to the CRPD Committee for its Review of South Africa WEI partnered with Cape Mental Health, Centre for Human Rights at The University of Pretoria, Epilepsy South Africa, Khuluma Family Counselling, Lawyers for Human Rights, Port Elizabeth Mental Health, SA Federation for Mental Health, and The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children. This report describes human rights violations against women and girls with disabilities in South Africa.
June 22, 2018 WEI Statement on US Withdrawal from the Human Rights Council
On June 19, 2018, the current government of the United States chose to withdraw its membership from the UN Human Rights Council, which is responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Women Enabled International is deeply concerned about this decision, as it further illustrates a declining commitment to human rights, including the rights of women and girls with disabilities, by the US government.
Read WEI's full statement here
June 21, 2018 WEI and Women's Link Worldwide present to the Colombian Constitutional Court. In May 2018, Women Enabled International and Women’s Link Worldwide presented to the Colombian Constitutional Court an amicus curiae brief in a case discussing legal grounds for abortion, including on the ground of fetal impairment. Read more
WEI y Women’s Link Worldwide presentamos ante la Corte Constitucional de Colombia. En mayo de 2018, WEI y Women’s Link Worldwide presentamos ante la Corte Constitucional de Colombia un amicus curiae en un caso que trata de las causales para acceder a aborto legal, incluso en los casos de malformaciones fetales. apprende más
In June 2018, States elected a total of seven women (six with disabilities) to serve as new members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. This is a major step toward gender parity in these committees, which monitor implementation of important human rights treaties affecting women with diabilities. Read more
May 11, 2018 Disability rights groups call on States to increase disability representation on the CEDAW Committee. A coalition of disability rights groups, including Women Enabled International, have issued a joint statement calling on States to increase disability diversity on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by electing Ana Peláez. Peláez would be the first woman with a disability to serve on the CEDAW Committee, which monitors the women's rights records of States around the world. Read more.
Archived News and Publication Announcements 2011-2017
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Current opportunities with WEI
- Social Media & Press Relations Intern Summer/Fall 2018
- Ext. Funded Intl Legal Fellow Fall 2018/Spring 2019
- Intl Legal Interns Fall 2018/Spring2019
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Accessible Word versions of some of WEI’s publications may be available upon request.
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