One in five women is living with a disability – and they are increasingly championing their rights and breaking barriers around the world, from Rwanda to Myanmar to Yemen.
But there is much more to be done.
Women and girls with disabilities have the lowest levels of sexual and reproductive health information, leaving them vulnerable to gender-based violence, unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, among others.
Adopted on 13 December 2006, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
With that in mind, the theme of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities this year is: “United in action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for, with and by persons with disabilities.”
To that end, UNFPA is working to ensure the rights of girls with disabilities to live free from violence, to support young persons with disabilities in expressing their views and claiming their rights regarding bodily autonomy, and to work towards youth-and-disability inclusive decision-making spaces.
Disability inclusion week 2023 events
For Disability Inclusion Week this year – 27 November to 1 December – UNFPA is hosting a trio of events to celebrate the agency, voices and experiences of women and young people with disabilities, in support of their sexual and reproductive health and rights and bodily autonomy:
Ability Innovation Challenge - 28 November
Join us to celebrate the winners of the AccessAbility Innovation Challenge to address the barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights for young persons with disabilities, and to envision the next steps. The event will also serve to launch an accessible digital platform for networking and knowledge sharing, an initiative led by the Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities and supported by the We Decide Programme. The webinar will be available in English, Spanish and French, with international sign language interpretation and English captioning.
Time: 28 November, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EST | 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. GMT
Format: Zoom webinar, hosted by Global Disability Innovation Hub, with four breakout sessions
Organizers: UNFPA in collaboration with the Global Disability Innovation Hub and Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities
Youth with disabilities in humanitarian response launch - 29 November
Join this virtual launch event as we unveil the checklist for empowering young people with disabilities in humanitarian emergencies and action. During the event, you’ll get a snapshot of this new checklist and learn ways of applying it to support youth and disability inclusion in humanitarian initiatives. The expected users of this checklist are humanitarian workers, especially those on the ground. The event will be available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic, with international sign language interpretation and CART (communication access real-time translation) available.
Time: 29 November, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00am EST | 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. GMT
Format: Zoom webinar, hosted by UNFPA
Organizers: Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action, Youth2030 Disability Task Team, UNFPA and Office of the Secretary General Envoy on Youth
Train-the-trainers curriculum launch - 30 November
Join us for a groundbreaking workshop to deepen your knowledge of the “Our Bodies, Our Rights!” train-the-trainers curriculum for organizations of persons with disabilities and women and young people with disabilities. During the event, UNFPA, Women Enabled International and representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities from China and Botswana will give a presentation titled, “Reflections on the guidelines on providing rights-based and gender-responsive services to address gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health and rights services.” The workshop will be available in English, Spanish and French, with international sign language interpretation and CART available.
Time: 30 November, 9:00 a.m. – 10:15am EST | 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. GMT
Format: Zoom workshop
Organizers: UNFPA and Women Enabled International
