Challenges And Struggles Faced By Women With Disability  including social, educational, and health barriers.

1. Introduction

Challenges Faced By Women With Disability arising from both their gender and disability, often referred to as a double burden. While all disabled individuals encounter struggles, women face greater discrimination in areas like education, employment, and family life.

2. Key Data Of Women with Disabilities”

• 2.01% of India’s population (21 million) is disabled.
• Of this, 44.1% are women (Census of India, 2011).

According to the Census of India, 2011, 2.01% of the population (21 million) in India is disabled, and 44.1% of them are women.

Despite this significant proportion, they are often neglected, excluded from developmental processes, and remain invisible in society, making

them one of the most vulnerable groups facing Challenges Faced By Women With Disabilities.

Beyond physical barriers, women with disabilities frequently face emotional, sexual, and physical abuse.

Many disabled girls feel excluded in schools, leading to sadness and isolation.

Factors like race, age, religion, and language further limit their access to opportunities and growth.

The Census data on the decadal change in the disabled population from 2001 to 2011 shows that

women outnumber men in terms of disability in both rural and urban areas.

The data also highlights a steep increase in the percentage of women with disabilities:

• In rural areas, it rose from 1.93% in 2001 to 2.03% in 2011.
• In urban areas, it increased from 1.71% in 2001 to 1.98% in 2011.

3. Challenges Faced by Women with Disabilities

3.1. Social Barriers: The Struggles of Women with Disabilities

Women with disabilities face double discrimination due to their gender and disability, making them more vulnerable to unfair treatment.

From birth, many disabled girls experience neglect, with some even left to die.

Those who survive face bias in families, lack of education, employment opportunities, and limited access to rehabilitation services.

They also face triple discrimination due to their poverty, which forces them into marginalization and isolation.

Living as the poorest of the poor, they often have little hope for a better future.

This article will discuss these social barriers and how society can help support women with disabilities.

3.2. The Struggle for Survival: The Reality for Disabled Girls

Disabled women face discrimination from the moment they are born.

The situation for disabled girls is even worse, as they are often denied the right to survive. In some cases,

female infants are victims of foeticide and infanticide, and disabled girls are even more vulnerable.

With the use of advanced reproductive technologies, imperfect fetuses are often eliminated, denying these children the right to life.

For those who do survive, their struggles don’t end. They continue to face difficulties throughout their lives in meeting their basic survival needs, making their journey even harder.

This article will explore the harsh reality of survival for disabled girls and the challenges they face from birth.

3.3. Literacy and Education: The Struggles of Disabled Women

Access to literacy and education remains a major challenge for disabled women. Compared to men with disabilities, women are generally less educated, with only a few reaching higher education.

Gender plays a significant negative role in addressing the educational needs of disabled girls, leading to very few girls being admitted to special schools.

This article will highlight the difficulties disabled women face in accessing education and the need for inclusive and gender-sensitive educational opportunities to help them overcome these challenges.

3.4. Sexuality and Reproduction: The Hidden Struggles of Disabled Women

Women with disabilities are often seen as asexual and are believed to be unsuitable for traditional roles like lover, mother, or homemaker.

This leads to loneliness, as many never marry, marry late, or get divorced.

Some may end up in abusive or exploitative relationships due to limited resources.

Disabled mothers are often judged as unfit to have or raise children, and their abilities are questioned. They face many challenges due to the stigma surrounding their disability.

Sadly, their experiences are often overlooked, and they remain invisible in discussions about sexuality and motherhood.

3.5. Violence Against Women with Disabilities: The Silent Struggle

Women with disabilities are often seen as asexual, yet they are at a much higher risk of being sexually abused.

Girls and women with disabilities are more vulnerable, making them easy targets for attacks on their honor like sexual harassment, rape, or forced prostitution. This risk is even greater for those who are marginalized or dependent on others.

Women living in poverty are especially at risk, as their disability makes it harder for them to protect themselves from these atrocities.

4. Health Challenges Faced by Women with Disabilities

Women with disabilities, particularly those with physical or mental disabilities, often face inadequate healthcare.

Their health needs are frequently neglected, which worsens their condition and can lead to additional disabilities.

If their health issues were addressed at the right time, many could lead more fulfilling lives and function better in daily activities.

Many women with disabilities also experience depression and other psychological conditions, which further impact their overall well-being and daily functioning.

5. Money Challenges Faced by Women with Disabilities

Disabled girls, especially in poor families, often face the harshest challenges in society.

They are often neglected, and their needs are not given the attention they deserve.

As a result, they struggle to grow both physically and mentally.

These girls face difficulties throughout their lives, such as poor health, malnutrition, and a low quality of life.

Their situation can be even harder due to the lack of proper care and resources.

6. Vocational Training Challenges for Women with Disabilities

Vocational training is already difficult for many people, and for women with disabilities, it becomes even harder.

There is a common belief that only men are suited for technical skills, while women should focus on domestic chores.

Organizational and physical barriers make it tough for women with disabilities to access vocational centers, especially in rural areas.

Even after training, the job placement services for disabled women are very poor, leaving many without work opportunities.

7. Infrastructural Barriers Faced by Women with Disabilities

Women with disabilities face major physical barriers in accessing basic services and resources.

Many buildings and public places are designed without considering the needs of people with disabilities, making it hard for them to go to schools, workplaces, and healthcare centers.

They also struggle with lack of mobility aids, like ramps or elevators, which makes daily tasks difficult.

In rural areas, the situation is even worse.

Unpaved roads, distant schools, and poor infrastructure such as toilets and libraries make it nearly impossible for disabled women to access education and healthcare.

These barriers contribute to their isolation, unemployment, and early death due to lack of medical care.

8. Traveling

Traveling is one of the best ways to refresh your mood but is one of the problems faced by women with disability.

The traveling infrastructure of India is not that much good or friendly for women with disability.

Getting in and out from buses, taxis, autos, and commuting from one place to another is quite tough for them, due to which they can’t have the fun of traveling.

9. Public Toilets

Women with disabilities face significant challenges when using public toilets.

Many facilities lack essential accessibility features like ramps, wide doors, and grab bars, making them difficult to use for those with mobility issues. Inadequate space, lack of privacy, and unclear signage also add to the difficulties.

These barriers reduce independence and dignity, emphasizing the need for better, more accessible restrooms.

10. Market Issues

Women with disabilities face challenges in the market due to a lack of accessible products and services.

Clothing, footwear, and assistive devices are often not designed for their needs.

Additionally, job opportunities are limited because of biases and workplace accessibility issues.

More inclusive products and job opportunities are needed to support these women.

11. Finding a Life Partner

Finding a life partner can be hard for women with disabilities because people often think they are not suitable for marriage or being a mother.

Many face loneliness and may not marry until later, or not at all. Barriers like lack of social opportunities, money problems,

and inaccessible places make it even harder for them to meet potential partners.

Some might even end up in abusive or exploitative relationships. More support and understanding are needed to help women with disabilities find love and happiness.

12. How Women With Disability Can Fight For Their Rights

12.1. Empowering Women with Disabilities: A Global Commitment to Equal Rights

Women with disabilities face unequal access to education, healthcare, and employment, limiting their social inclusion.

They often experience violence and injustice. To address this, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006, ensuring that countries protect and promote the rights of disabled women.

12.2. Core Provisions of the CRPD

• Universal Rights: The CRPD guarantees social, political, economic, and cultural rights for all, with specific rights for disabled individuals.

Key Rights:

• Accessibility: Right to accessible roads, buildings, and public places.
• Mobility: Rights for independent living and movement.
• Participation: Right to engage in political, social, and cultural life.
• Recreation: Right to participate in sports and other recreational activities.

12.3. Raising Awareness and Fighting Bias

The CRPD promotes awareness to combat stereotypes and biases related to disability and gender.

It encourages inclusive campaigns to highlight the skills and abilities of disabled women in the labor market and workplace.

12.4. Equality and Support

• Equality before law: The CRPD affirms that women with disabilities must be treated equally.
• Education: Ensures inclusive education, with provisions for special education for different types of disabilities, like Braille for the visually impaired and sign language for the hearing impaired.

12.5. Habilitation and Rehabilitation

 

The Convention ensures that disabled women have the opportunity for independence and social participation through habilitation and rehabilitation. States must provide opportunities in education, employment, and healthcare.

12.6. Work and Employment Rights

Women with disabilities should have equal access to employment with opportunities for self-employment and entrepreneurship.

They are entitled to equal pay and humane working conditions.

This treaty aims to ensure that women with disabilities are fully integrated into society with the rights and opportunities they deserve.