The Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities

2013

By Carolyn Frohmader, Executive Director, Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) and Stephanie Ortoleva, President, Women Enabled, Inc.

Sexual and reproductive rights are fundamental human rights. They embrace human rights that are already recognised in international, regional and national legal frameworks, standards and agreements. They include the right to autonomy and self-determination – the right of everyone to make free and informed decisions and have full control over their body, sexuality, health, relationships, and if, when and with whom to partner, marry and have children – without any form of discrimination, stigma, coercion or violence. This includes the right of everyone to enjoy and express their sexuality, be free from interference in making personal decisions about sexuality and reproductive matters, and to access sexual and reproductive health information, education, services and support. It also includes the right to be free from torture and from cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment; and to be free from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.

This Briefing Paper examines the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls with disabilities in the context of the future development agenda Beyond 2014 and Post 2015. It deliberately focuses on women and girls with disabilities in recognition that they are generally more likely to experience infringements of their sexual and reproductive rights given the physiology of human reproduction and the gendered social, legal and economic context in which sexuality, fertility, pregnancy and parenthood occur. This Paper examines some of the key sexual and reproductive rights violations experienced by women and girls with disabilities around the world. It includes a discussion of intersectionality and multiple identity, recognising that this reality is important to any examination of the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls with disabilities. It provides an analysis of the cycle of accountability in relation to the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls with disabilities, looking at the dimensions of responsibility, answerability and enforceability. It poses some key priority considerations for ensuring the future development agenda Beyond 2014 and Post 2015 is inclusive of, and responsive to, women and girls with disabilities all over world. Importantly, as opposed to ‘needs’, this paper speaks to the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls with disabilities – rights that for far too long have been violated, denied, ignored and trivialised by those in positions to make a difference.