2024-03-07 10:30:13
The manifesto is reproduced in full below:
March 8, 2023
International Women’s Day
Manifest ‘THE FUTURE WE WANT!’
On this March 8, International Women’s Day, from the CERMI Mujeres Foundation we reaffirm our commitment to building a world where women and girls with disabilities are recognized as leaders and agents of change, free of discrimination, violence and exclusion. Despite significant progress in the fight for equality between women and men and in favor of people with disabilities, we still face critical challenges that require urgent attention and decisive actions.
We are more than two and a half million women with disabilities committed to building the future we want and we are convinced that the task of designing the roadmap that we must follow starts here and now, with the knowledge and experiences accumulated since we began organize ourselves back in the nineties.
The situation of social exclusion and discrimination that women with disabilities face in Spain, as in many other parts of the world, is complex and multifaceted, since they find themselves at the intersection of various forms of oppression. This multiple and intersectional discrimination significantly affects our quality of life and makes it difficult for us to fully participate in society.
Women with disabilities face significant obstacles in the labor market, not only due to prejudices about our abilities, but also due to the interaction between these perceptions and gender stereotypes, as well as the lack of necessary adaptations and supports. This translates into lower employment rates, precarious working conditions and occupational segregation.
Furthermore, because the social imaginary does not consider us women and, therefore, potential victims of sexist violence, we find ourselves with added difficulties when accessing support and protection services, due to the lack of accessible and appropriate resources for our women. specific needs.
Intersectional discrimination also complicates our access to adequate health services, including information and care related to sexual and reproductive health. The barriers include not only physical, cognitive and communication accessibility, but also prejudices and lack of preparation of health personnel to provide care in an inclusive and respectful manner.
For its part, we must keep in mind that our representation and participation in political and social spaces is very limited, which is why it is essential to promote our active inclusion to ensure that our perspectives and needs are considered in decision-making.
Barriers to education for girls and women with disabilities are also a clear example of discrimination. These barriers limit our access to quality, inclusive educational opportunities, thereby restricting our potential for personal and professional development.
To address these challenges, a comprehensive strategy that includes public policies aimed at eliminating all types of barriers is crucial; promote gender equality and the empowerment of women with disabilities; guarantee our real and effective access to justice; improve inclusion in the labor market and ensure our participation in all aspects of social, economic, and political life. Collaboration between the Government, civil society organizations, and organized women with disabilities themselves is essential to move towards a more inclusive and equitable society.
For all these reasons, this March 8, the organized women with disabilities of our country raise our complaint to DEMAND:
- The total eradication of violence against women with disabilities, through effective measures to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women and girls with disabilities, ensuring our access to appropriate support services. Violence is not only an attack on our physical and psychological integrity, but also a serious obstacle to our full participation in society.
- Justice systems that are accessible and sensitive to the needs of women and girls with disabilities, that overcome the ableist and patriarchal inertias that still permeate their work and that guarantee our right to effective protection against violence and abuse, avoiding revictimization and promoting our real participation in judicial processes.
- Economic empowerment through the implementation of policies that promote equal opportunities in employment and education so we can develop professionally.
- The right of women and girls with disabilities to access comprehensive health services, including sexual and reproductive health, without discrimination or coercion.
- The guarantee that there is equitable representation of women and girls with disabilities in all decision-making spaces, from the local to the international level, ensuring our voice and leadership in building more inclusive and equal societies.
- An accessible and inclusive education that recognizes and incorporates the specific demands of girls with disabilities, as a cornerstone for empowerment and autonomy from an early age.
- The removal of all physical, communicative and attitudinal barriers that prevent women and girls with disabilities from living independently and participating fully in all aspects of community life.
Women with disabilities face unique challenges that require a coordinated, inclusive and effective political response. Therefore, accountability by the Government regarding policies that benefit women with disabilities is key. This is an ethical and legal imperative that underlines the commitment to social justice, equity and respect for human rights. Accountability in this context not only involves the creation and implementation of specific policies, but also continuous monitoring and transparent evaluation of their impact and effectiveness. This accountability necessarily includes compliance with international obligations contracted by Spain.
From here, we call for vindication, solidarity, empathy and the active commitment of the entire Spanish society with the ultimate goal of building a more inclusive, fair and equitable world. Because the fight for equality and inclusion of women with disabilities is a fight that concerns all citizens.
We will not rest until all women, with or without disabilities, have the opportunity to live lives free of discrimination and violence.
Because the future we want has already begun.
CERMI WOMEN FOUNDATION
March 8, 2024
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