Women Enabled International Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest: Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health Report on Medical Education and Health Workforce Strengthening

May 20, 2019

Women and girls with disabilities make up a substantial portion of the world population. Yet, globally, health workers do not receive adequate pre-service education or in-service training on health care provision for women with disabilities, particularly in the context of sexual and reproductive health care. This systemic failure in health workforce education means that health workers are often not trained on the lives and rights of women with disabilities and on how to provide them with adequate care. As a result, disabled women are more likely than others to face violations of their right to health, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH), in the context of the patient-provider relationship.