In collaboration with UN Women, MyRight organized a webinar on the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in peacebuilding work. 80 participants from all over the world had the opportunity to reflect on the rights of people with disabilities, gender equality and inclusive peace processes.
The seminar was attended by speakers from several international organizations, all of whom emphasized the importance of integrating and prioritizing disability perspectives, with a special focus on women and girls. The speakers shared experiences and challenges and stated that if these issues are not addressed and women and girls are included, long-term and lasting peace will never be achieved.
Unique experiences and perspectives
Women and girls with disabilities face double discrimination, discrimination that is exacerbated during times of conflict. War and conflict increase the number of people living with disabilities in a country. In conflicts, many women and girls are also affected by gender-based violence.
Women and girls living with disabilities experience exceptional difficulties and obstacles not only during - but also after conflict. Their unique perspectives and experiences are needed in peace-building processes. To understand the needs of women and girls with disabilities, their own voices must be heard and included in the discussion.
In order to better include women and girls with disabilities, both targeted activities and broader approaches are needed. The importance of shedding light on the subject both locally and nationally, from the UN to civil society, was discussed and examples of how national and international civil society organizations work with the integration of the disability perspective were shared. Several speakers emphasized the importance of women's and girls' participation in political forums and activities at all its levels - from election observations to politics.
You can take part in the webinar by following this link to our YouTube channel.
