Tag: 2021
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“Involved from the Beginning” COVID-19 Outreach Project Final Report
A new report released today by Women with Disabilities ACT (WWDACT) analyses the
experiences of women, girls, feminine identifying, and non-binary people with disabilities during
COVID-19. It illustrates an urgent need to address pre-existing disadvantage, and to involve
women* with disabilities in all emergency planning.
Report author Megan Hagan says ‘Findings were disheartening in that nothing was really new,
or really COVID-19 specific. Instead, there was a predictable worsening of pre-existing
disadvantage.’
78% of women* with disabilities reported experiencing new or increased mental health issues
during COVID-19. Of particular concern, 87% of LGBTIQA+ people with disabilities
experienced increased mental health concerns. These figures reflect the already high levels of
mental health concerns among women* with disability being exacerbated.
28% of women with disability were impacted negatively by increased physical labour. Ms
Hagan notes ‘gender inequalities around the mental load, home schooling, and increased
domestic work increased barriers for many women* with disabilities.’
The report also acknowledges positive changes brough about by COVID-19. Of note, there
were increased social security payments; increased availability of Telehealth appointments; the
normalisation of video calls; the ability to work from home; and a greater community
awareness of infection control, isolation, and loneliness.
These positive aspects are important to bring forward as we strive for an equitable society, but
they in no way balance out the negative impacts.
COVID-19 has resulted in increased domestic violence cases across Australia. Despite the
federal government committing additional domestic violence funding, there have not been the
resources to meet demand for support services. 12% of women* with disability experienced
new or increased domestic violence due to COVID-19.
22.73% of LGBTQI+ people with disability experienced new or increased family or domestic
violence during COVID-19 in contrast to 7.25% of cisgender women.
40% of women* with disabilities experiencing family or domestic violence did not have access
to appropriate services.
In Australia, compared to their peers, women, girls, feminine identifying, and non-binary people
with disabilities experience higher levels of all forms of violence more intensely and frequently
and are subjected to such violence by a greater number of perpetrators. COVID-19
exacerbated the situation.
When speaking on the prevention of violence against women* with disabilities in the ACT,
WWDACT CEO explains that ‘Women* with disabilities experience the same forms of violence
that all women* experience, but they also experience forms of violence unique to the
intersection of gender and disability.’ The prevalence of this violence is testimony to the lack of
prevention strategies and pathways safety afforded to women* with disabilities by current
policy, services, and systems. On this, Mx Reed notes ‘worryingly, our stats do not represent
the true extent of this problem’.
You can read our full report, summary brief and media release below. -
Why women* with disabilities?
Read the attachment below for information about why advocacy is necessary for women and non-binary people with disabilities.
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Position statement: Crisis services for Women* with Disabilities
Our position
- Crisis and emergency housing should be available to all women* with disabilities who require these services in the ACT.
- The domestic violence services must work with disability services and Disability People’s Organisations to share expertise and improve understandings of an intersectional approach to avoid creating silos in the sector.
- Information about how domestic violence services can and will cater to women* with disabilities should be explicit and easily accessible.
- Women* with disabilities who contact domestic violence services should be asked what their immediate care needs are.
- All women* with disabilities who seek crisis and emergency housing should promptly be put in touch with an individual advocacy organisation to support them through the process.
- All crisis and emergency housing in the ACT should be accessible for women* who have physical disabilities including those women* who use mobility aids.
- Crisis services should ensure current important information on accessing the service is made accessible (e.g., Easy English, plain English, screen reader friendly information)
- Women* with disabilities must be consulted about how to improve services.
- Data on the number of women* with disabilities requesting, accessing, or being turned away from domestic violence services should be kept and made public.
You can learn more by reading our position statement linked below.
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Position statement: Equitable participation of women* with disabilities
Our position
- The equitable participation of women* with disabilities is crucial to achieving full and effective participation in all aspects of life on an equal basis with others.
- Women* with disabilities must be part of the leadership of Disabled People’s Organisations on an equal basis with men with disabilities.
- Women* with disabilities must be encouraged and supported to take up positions of leadership and decision-making across all levels of government.
- Women* with disabilities must be encouraged and supported to take up positions of leadership within their communities.
- Accurate and diverse representation of women* with disabilities must be achieved across all forms of media.
- Women with disabilities must have access to all forms of education on an equal basis with others in the community. This includes but is not limited to secondary education, tertiary education, vocational education, and workplace professional development.
- Gender and disability disaggregated data should be kept and publicised to both understand the current state of disempowerment and track progress.
You can learn more by reading our position statement linked below.
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Position statement: Sexual health and reproductive health rights
Our position
- Sexual and reproductive health rights are fundamental human rights.
- The discrimination of women* with disabilities in areas of sexual and reproductive health rights is in violation of multiple provisions of the CRPD.
- Women* with disabilities have the right to make free and informed choices about their bodies, sexual health, reproductive health, intimate and emotional relationships, and parenting.
- Sexual and reproductive health rights include the right for all couples and individuals to found and maintain a family. This includes the right to and access to the information and means to do so.
- Women* with disabilities have the right to sexual pleasure, expression, relationships, equity, privacy, freedom, autonomy, and self-determination.
- Comprehensive sexuality education materials, as well as information on sexual and reproductive health must be made available to women* to with disability in accessible formats.
- WWDACT opposes the use of forced sterilization, abortion, and contraception – which constitute violence against women* with disability – in the ACT
- The forced removal of children because of their mother’s disability is a violation of fundamental human rights.
- When required, women* with disabilities must be provided with the supports needed to make their own decisions about their body without third-party interference.
You can learn more by reading our position statement linked below.
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Position statement: Prevention of Violence against Women* with Disabilities
Our position
Women and non-binary people with disabilities have the right to freedom from all forms of violence.
- Women and non-binary people with disabilities have the right to freedom from all forms of violence.
- All forms of violence are blatant violations of basic human rights.
- WWDACT opposes all forms of violence in all settings across the ACT.
- Violence against women and non-binary people with disabilities must be understood in context of intersections between gender and disability.
- Violence is preventable. There is an urgent need for prevention programs in the ACT informed by human rights frameworks and intersectional frameworks.
You can learn more by reading our position statement below.
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WWDACT Annual General Meeting Notice
Dear WWDACT Members and Friends,
The Women with Disabilities ACT (WWDACT) (ABN 74 908 530 982) Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 6 December from 6:00pm-8:00pm, via Zoom in recognition of the ongoing pandemic. Please RSVP to the AGM here.
Auslan interpretation will be available, and WWDACT asks attendees to please advise of other accessibility requirements by 29 November close of business.
Board nominations
Nominations are now open for the role of two director positions on the WWDACT board. These positions are:- 1 x Treasurer full-term position
- 1 x Ordinary Director full-term position
Board meetings are held once every 6 weeks and all positions are two-year terms.
Nominations can be made by completing and emailing this form to ceo@wwdact.org.au by Friday 19 November COB. You must be a Full Member to nominate. You can sign up to be a member at anytime here.
Board Information Session
WWDACT is hosting an information session on the 15th November for anyone who might be interested in applying to be on WWDACT’s board this year or in future years.
Bring your questions, your concerns & your enthusiasm. during this session our Board Chair, Kerry Marshall and members of the current Board will explain the key responsibilities, answer your questions and give you all the information you need to nominate.
This meeting will be held on Zoom and will be auto-captioned. We are unable to provide Auslan interpreting for this event at this time. Please get in touch at info@wwdact.org.au if you have any access requirements for this meeting.
RSVP to the Board Information Session here.
Board candidate voting
Online voting will be administered by ElectionBuddy, and will be open from 23 November until 7pm on the night of the AGM. Information about how to vote will be circulated to members before 23 November, which will also outline online proxy voting options.AGM Documents
The Agenda of the 2021 AGM, and minutes of the 2020 AGM will be sent closer to the AGM.Membership
New members are also welcome to sign up here, now and on the night. -
Report: Parenting Peer Support Group
Women with disabilities who are pregnant, parenting or planning to become parents face a range of
barriers to successful parenting. They experience higher rates of domestic violence, poverty, social
isolation and reproductive coercion than their non-disabled peers. Women with disabilities who are
pregnant are less likely to breastfeed and less likely to have control over decisions during their labour
than their non-disabled peers. Women with disabilities are significantly more likely to be involved
with the child protection system and have their parenting capacity questioned. This is a big fear for
parents and may reduce their likelihood of engaging with a mainstream parents group. Though rates
of breastfeeding are low for parents with disabilities, disability specific parenting peer support groups
may increase rates of breastfeeding. Knowing these issues, it must be acknowledged that women*
with disabilities who are pregnant, parenting or planning to become parents may be more likely to
experience structural oppression that intersects, or overlaps, creating greater levels of disadvantage.
Although the Women with Disabilities ACT Parenting Peer Support Group aimed to focus on the
strengths of participants, it is important to acknowledge these experiences of oppression and work
towards reducing them through our work at WWDACT.
You can read our report from this project below.
