In a research paper entitled ‘Disability and gender at a cross-roads: A Palestinian perspective’, Leila Atshan (1997) observes that in Palestinian culture disability is traditionally synonymous with shame and, when congenital, is viewed as a sign of divine intervention or of the work of evil spirits. Enabling citizenship: Gender, disability and citizenship in Australia. Yaroslava Kravchenko: A Ukrainian theatre director using the power of performance to take on gender-based violence 16/11/2020 Hand over the mic to: Teodora Stojilković, Serbia Humility is not negotiable. It observes that PWD have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievement, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. I continue to work on striking a delicate balance between accessing confidence and self-worth, while also staying open to experts who can fill in gaps in my knowledge and help me continue to refine my lens. World Report on Disability. The disability gap across the seven countries is relatively large, ranging from seven per cent in Kenya to 47 per cent in Bangladesh. For example, it was great to see the several references to women and girls with disabilities in the Department for International Development’s updated Strategic … I am acutely aware that this lens shapes my process of knowledge acquisition and production. I learned to undo problematic framings of disability and internalization of the deficit mind-set that comes with my disability, race/ethnicity and gender. Feminist and disability studies are producing new understandings of disability and gender. However, some have at times forgotten to provide these legal and necessary supports on a consistent basis. Gender as a result of biology has been thought to determine all manner of social behaviours on the part of men and women. Abu-Habib, L. Sarah Manchanda is a Ph.D. candidate in special education. The World Report notes that more than one billion people, i.e. Both gender and disability have both traditionally been seen as a product of biology. As paragraph 64 of the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women (2015) points out: “generally, social and cultural constructions of women’s roles and status perpetuate stereotypes that disadvantage women and preclude the enjoyment of all their human rights, including the right to a life free of violence.” Such factors will include ability or disability. Gender and disability. Meekosha, H. Gender and disability. It further extends an intersectional framework by highlighting the gendered aspects of the ways in which different disabilities shape labor market inequalities. The Convention on the Rights of People with Disability (CRPD), a landmark document published in 2008, considers disability to be an evolving concept. © 2020, Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender | University of Pretoria, Strengthened Practice through Collaboration, https://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/library/meekosha-meekosha.pdf, https://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/, Our home and our mother: The gendering of nature in climate change discourses, What AIDS epidemic? I find comfort in talking to people who have similar lived experiences to my own. It can be demoralizing to read text after text in which disability is connected with deficit and still hold a belief that I can garner the respect and support needed to change inequitable systems from within. Its specific methodology helps us draw on what is already implemented by grassroots organizations. The intersection of disability, gender, and sexuality. For the Chronicle, disability was an intersection that did not merit attention. The WHO report (2011) goes on to depict the inaccessibility of medical equipment for many PWD. (2016). The impact of disability on women in terms of human rights violations in general, and in terms of violations of the right to dignity in particular, appear to be more pronounced than those experienced by disabled men. It is important to engage in raising awareness and other forms of public education, to engage in further research on disability, and to facilitate PWD’s improved access to mainstream service… Abu-Habib (1997:1) reflects the gravity of the problems which disabled women face: … disabled women are indeed worse off than their able-bodied sisters. United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. Meanwhile, negative attitudes toward disability are far from a specter of the past. The intersection of gender and disability: A primer for international development practitioners August 2020 This primer seeks to support international development practitioners improve their understanding on gender and disability by highlighting … It is implicit that disabled women and girls are more disadvantaged than male PWD. The WHO (2011) reports that if PWD are employed, they usually earn less than their counterparts without disabilities; women with disabilities also commonly earn less than men with disabilities. Patriarchy draws a traditional distinction between the roles of men and women in the family: whereas the male is ‘destined’ to be the head of the family, to be independent and to exercise power in the household and in society, the female has a more symbolic function and is often seen as merely an accessory to the male. Whether or not faculty and leaders in the field externally validate this belief, I belong here. This Special Issue on Gender is part of the new efforts to transform thinking by exploring how disability and gender (as well as other social categories, such as race, class, age and sexuality) operate together to create the experiences of disabled people. 15% of the global population, live with some form of disability, of whom nearly 200 million experience considerable difficulties in functioning. Atshan (1997: 54) comments that: Because of these norms of female beauty and the role of women in the family, a disabled woman is seen as a failure on several counts. To give a few instances: women with disabilities are twice as prone to divorce, separation, and violence than able-bodied women. Because she drew on logic to build her position, any challenge to this stance could be interpreted as irrational. grouped by disability status and racial/ethnic identity, reflects that individuals who live at this intersection of race and disability experience disproportionate levels of financial distress. She spoke with obvious pride about her belief that not only did her students really enjoy the activity, but it also provided an opportunity for them to develop empathy for those without sight. Her reliance on logic as a response to my display of affect can be attributed to white logic and the eternal objectivity it grants to elite whites and eternal subjectivity it imposes on nonwhites. One lever for reinforcing these norms is through granting power to objective arguments and devaluing emotion, particularly when expressed by members of minority groups. Women with disabilities experi­ence the combined disadvantages associated with gender as well as disability, and may be less likely to marry than non-disabled women. Understanding the power of knowledge production for societal transformation, and the fact that subjectivity based on one’s lived experiences is inherent to this process, colleges and universities must admit and retain more graduate students who are marginalized in multiple ways, including those who have disabilities. Course Description: This course aims to develop basic understanding and familiarity with concept of Gender and its intersection with class, caste, religion and region.It also intends to make aware about the process of socialization at home and school. According to Meekosha and Dowse (1997: 50), “Disability is gendered, affecting men and women differentially”. The Body Silent: the different world of the disabled. Such discrimination extends to other socio-economic and political areas. I have been asked while making a presentation in front of a large group to read text off a slide verbatim, although my vision does not allow me to do so. The added benefit of friendships with peers who have shared lived experiences in graduate school is that they are also colleagues in research. In a similar way disability as biology has been seen as determining disabled people’s choices and … (Image credit: al Shep via Flickr) In this paper I review the intersection between gender and disability, which remains a key barrier in the establishment of an inclusive society in which everyone can live a dignified life. The intersection of my race, gender and disability identities has led me to feel that important perspectives are unrepresented in the conversations of affinity groups based on one of these identities. Within this framework it is, therefore, possible to observe that “disability is a marginalised status in contemporary society, one that is nearly always described in negative and offensive language” (Barnes 1992: 42). People with disability have continuously been excluded from the mainstream, and when the intersection between disability and gender happens, the exclusion becomes more prominent. World Health Organization & World Bank Group. In the same vein, Gerschick (2000: 12164) observes that “people with disabilities are engaged in an asymmetrical power relationship with their temporarily able-bodied counterparts”. Yet analysing the intersection of gender and disability is an important initiative, given that they constitute two of the most severe forms of marginalisation, injustice and exclusion. Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences. Hopefully the rights-based approach available in the CRPD can contribute to a shift in public perceptions. Barnes, C. 1992. In the same vein, Atshan (1997) observes that for the family, disability can mean guilt by association, and being related to a disabled person can damage marriage prospects, owing to the fear of impairment continuing down the line, through successive generations. In addition, for those of you who also feel personally marginalized as scholars, I’d like to share the following summary of five understandings that have helped me find the strength to finish the degree and may be of help to you, as well. Despite progress in the development of disability policies and the introduction of anti-discrimination norms, much still needs to be done to shift stereotypical views of disability. I have sat in classes unprepared for discussion because I have not received the readings in an accessible format. The research literature reflects that gender and disability are usually studied separately. UK and Ireland: Oxfam. The views and opinions expressed on this website reflect those of the CSA&G and unless explicitly stated, do not reflect those of its donors, partners or the University of Pretoria. At the same time, we were hearing … Halifax: British Council of Organisations of Disabled People & Ryburn Publishing. – a World AIDS Day message from the CSA&G, Fighting for Pure Lands: Land Purity, Polluting Figures, Male Power and Violence in Zimbabwe. Christensen-Strynø, M. B. She denied me the opportunity of providing input on and co-teaching the course with her in future semesters. At the intersection of disability and masculinity: exploring gender and bodily difference in India ... context‐defined, meanings that, in turn, have different implications for how gender and disability might intersect. In Gender and Disability: Women’s Experiences in the Middle East, edited by Lina Abu-Habib. In other words, disability is used as a basis for discrimination and, therefore, is a violation of the fundamental rights and dignity of the disabled, in a clear violation of Article 2 of the CRPD, which reads: ‘Discrimination on the basis of disability’ means any distinction, exclusion or restriction on the basis of disability which has the purpose or effect of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal basis with others, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. The intersection of disability and gender has received increasing attention over recent years, from international institutions, national governments, NGOs, academics and activists; often using the narrative of ‘double discrimination’ whereby people with disabilities face exclusion and discrimination on the grounds of both their gender and their disability. There is a need to address these biases, and the intersection of gender and disability is one area of great concern. 1995. Gender and Disability: Women’s Experiences in the Middle East. The purpose of this paper was to describe the intersection between gender and disability, and the impact of disability on the lives of disabled men and women. As these women are often hidden at home, little literature is available on them. What is remarkable of course is that disability and violence—especially sexual violence—go hand-in-hand. Toward a theory of disability and gender. Be the first to know.Get our free daily newsletter. Within this context, Palestinian PWD have been marginalised and shunned socially to the point of invisibility. Considering multiple intersecting statuses demonstrates how the interaction between disability type and gender produce distinct labor market outcomes. Most participants understood disability primarily as a medical phenomenon, but some participants also began to attach relational and political meanings to disability. There is also a higher prevalence of disability among women compared to that among men. The World Report emphasises the different lived experience of PWD and people without disabilities. Goffman, E. 1963. Disability Inclusion for Youth Workers; 0 out of 24 steps completed 0%. In these circumstances, being disabled amounts to an embarrassing exception to the social norm: an exception rejected by those in charge of enacting society’s code of beauty and rules (i.e. I have found solidarity with peers in ethnic studies, gender studies and disability studies, as well as strength in the conversations we’ve had around the readings for courses. Gender Based Violence. I continue to fight to hold the door open for those who will come after me to further expand upon, refine and enhance the vision for an inclusive society. In India, presence of different societal and cultural norms have restricted access of reproductive and sexual rights to people with disability. Peers, professors and mentors who know about my disability-related challenges and associated legal accommodations care about my success. (Available at  https://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/library/meekosha-meekosha.pdf) Accessed 2 March 2019. Before I started graduate studies, my hope was that my lived experiences as a disabled woman of color would be valued as a form of expertise. In March 2020, Women Enabled International (WEI) identified a gap in initial global responses to COVID-19: many actors were discussing how to include women and persons with disabilities in the response, but few were considering the unique experiences of women with disabilities and others living at the intersection of gender and disability. While disabled sons can be tolerated and often married, disabled daughters are merely a drain on already stretched resources: permanent family members, with no hope of future marriage or social mobility. New York: Norton. According to the World Report, the prevalence of male disability worldwide is 12%, whereas the prevalence of female disability is 19.2% (WHO  2011). Women with disabilities have been described as being doubly marginalised on account of their disability and their gender. Because no single affinity group meets my needs, I have sought out many groups and broadened my connections on my campus. Despite progress in the development of disability policies and the introduction of anti-discrimination norms, much still needs to be done to shift stereotypical views of disability. The Report distinguishes between the experiences of disabled men and women (WHO 2011: 8): … while disability correlates with disadvantage, not all people with disabilities are equally disad­vantaged. United Nations. Building community with like-minded peers and mentors is my priority. Understanding what amounts to disability is a necessary first step before considering its relationship with gender. Research on disability, specifically the intersection between female gender expectations and disability, increased due to this movement. Looking at the Past with a New Perspective: The Intersection of Disability and Gender and its Importance to the Field of History. In 2011 the World Health Organisation and the World Bank Group together produced the first World Report on Disability (hereafter referred to as the World Report), an important document that contributes to our understanding of disability and its impact on society (WHO 2011). ... Two such perspectives are gender and disability. Meekosha, H. and Dowse, L. 1997. They understand intuitively what I am saying and don’t question the validity of my claims when I speak about any microaggressions I’ve encountered during the day. Although the activity she spoke about was fun for students, I found it offensive and irresponsible that the experience of an entire group of disenfranchised individuals could be conceptualized as a game. Human Rights Council, Twenty-ninth Session, United Nations General Assembly A/HRC/29/27/Add.2. They are also the people I can go to for material resource support, to solve problems together and to strategize for systems-level change. She expressed skepticism about the time involved in organizing this and ended the discussion after this suggestion. Not only did this activity minimize the complexity and struggle of the blind student’s experience, in my opinion it also poked fun at the challenges of the group as a whole. Although the movement was popular in the 80s and 90s, feminists continue to discuss the intersection of gender and disability today as it relates to gender identity and sexual orientation. (ed.) Murphy, R.F. Female PWD are not expected to be independent, given that they are expected to play the roles of daughter, wife and mother in relation to men. people without disability). UK and Ireland: Oxfam. This type of violence uses the limitations of women with disabilities as a space in which to happen frequently and sustainably. New York: Touchstone. Several decades earlier, Goffman (1963) pointed out that having a disability not only means experiencing certain physical, intellectual or mental disadvantages, but it also involves the experience of stigma from more able-bodied members of society. Lina Abu-Habib (1997: 3) attempts to decipher implicit messages from the non-disabled toward PWD – a message which is not about encouragement or love, but rather involves exclusion and even dehumanisation: Thus, the strong message from the non-disabled world remains that the lives of disabled persons are not necessarily worth living. 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