Ending violence against women and girls with disabilities in the European Union

This webinar from the European Disabilities Forum explores how EU institutions, agencies and women’s organisations can work together to end violence against women and girls with disabilities.

Women and girls with disabilities constitute 16% of the total population of women in the European Union, and 60% of the overall population of 100 million persons with disabilities. This corresponds to an estimated 60 million of women and girls with disabilities (equivalent to the total population of Italy). Even before COVID-19, women and girls faced multiple forms of violence.

Data shows that, on average, those with disabilities are 2 to 5 times more likely to face violence than other women and girls. In the EU, 34% of women with a health problem or a disability have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime.

Violence may include domestic and gender-based violence, institutional violence, forced sterilisation, contraception and abortion, and harassment, including sexual harassment.

Despite being more at risks of becoming victims of violence, women and girls with disabilities received limited support due to lack of awareness, accessibility, and reasonable accommodation.

They also face barriers in accessing justice. Several policies of the European Commission have the potential to combat and end violence against women and girls with disabilities, in particular the Gender Equality Strategy and Strategy for Victims’ Rights adopted earlier this year, and the EU Disability Strategy to be adopted in 2021.