Resolution on the human rights of women and girls with disabilities

Resolution on the HUMAN RIGHTS OF women and girls with disabilities AND OF MOTHERS OF Girls and boys with disabilities
 
 
1. Introduction
 
The human rights and fundamental freedoms of disabled girls and women and of mothers of girls and boys with disabilities should be fully recognised and respected in accordance with human rights conventions and other legal instruments adopted by our governments. 
The purpose of the UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (UN Resolution 48/96, annex, of 20 December 1993) is “to ensure that girls, boys, women and men with disabilities, as members of their societies, may exercise the same rights and obligations as others”, however there are still remarkable inequalities in many spheres of life based on gender; girls and women with disabilities and mothers of disabled children should be ensured equal opportunities in all spheres of life.
The international disability movement is taking active part in the ongoing elaboration of a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention must recognise that gender-specific measures are necessary to ensure equal and effective enjoyment of rights for all. It is highly important that the new human rights instrument works well in cooperation with the existing instruments and contributes to ensuring women and girls with disabilities and mothers of disabled children their full human rights. 
 
The Committee that monitors the Convention on the Elimination of All Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) adopted in 1991 a General Recommendation (No.18), in which it “Recommends that State parties provide information on disabled women in their periodic reports, and on measures taken to deal with their particular situation, including special measures to ensure that they have equal access to education and employment, health services and social security, and to ensure that they can participate in all areas of social and cultural life.” However, countries only very rarely report on the situation of girls and women with disabilities in their periodic reports. 
 
All country reports related to other existing human rights conventions must include information on the situation of girls, boys, women and men with disabilities. (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child, International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination). The reports should have a clear understanding of both the gender dimension and disability dimension
 
 
 
2. Decisions  
 
The European Disability Forum meeting at its Annual General Assembly on 15 May 2004 in Warsaw has agreed the following Resolution and decided to transmit it to all relevant stakeholders at National, European and international level:
 
  1. EDF promotes efforts to recognize the need for gender awareness and gender-specific measures in the elaboration of the Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.
  2. EDF General Assembly decides that the implementation of the EDF Work Programme will seek funding for sub-regional and regional workshops and seminars on the issue of rights of women and girls with disabilities and of mothers of disabled children. Results of such consultation would be included in the input to the elaboration of the International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.
  3. EDF General Assembly recognises the importance of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Therefore the EDF General Assembly requests that EDF approach the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women to recommend that the Committee should actively request States that are party to the Convention, with reference to CEDAW's Recommendation No. 18/1991, to include information on the situation of disabled women and girls in their periodic reports to CEDAW on the implementation of the Convention. 
  4. EDF General Assembly recommends that EDF Members approach their governments during the preparation of the country report to the CEDAW-Committee, with a view to demanding reporting on the situation of women and girls with disabilities, linked to more fact finding, research and seminars, in cooperation with the organizations of persons with disabilities. 
  5. EDF General Assembly also recommends that EDF Members approach their governments to include women and girls with disabilities and mothers of disabled children in the current Beijing + 10 review, referring to the commitments made in the Beijing Platform for Action.
  6. EDF General Assembly recommends that Member organisations implement awareness-raising regarding existing Human Rights Conventions, to emphasise that both the gender dimension and disability dimension should be included in the country periodic reports. EDF General Assembly also encourages EDF Members to start producing parallel reports on Human Rights Conventions.
  7. EDF General Assembly recommends that Member organisations establish and support women’s committees and networks in their respective national and regional structures, in order to strengthen the ongoing dialogue on the priority issues of women and girls with disabilities and of mothers of girls and boys with disabilities within the EDF network. The EDF General Assembly encourages EDF Women’s Committee to take active part in facilitating dialogue and networking between these committees and networks.