Violence against women with disabilities
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- Опубліковано 26 лют 2012
- Women with disabilities experience violence at a higher rate, for longer periods, and are less likely to report the abuse, than women without disabilities (Healey, 2008). Tricia Malowney, Chair of Women with Disabilities Victoria, and Ariane Garner-Williams, youth and women with disabilities advocate, talk about some of the issues that arise for this doubly disadvantaged group, in terms of violence.
In the 2003 Report "Double Triple Disadvantage: Out of Sight, Out of Mind", author Chris Jennings explains that 'Women with disabilities face a double disadvantage: as women they are discriminated against on the basis of gender, and as people they are discriminated against on the basis of their disability' (p.11).
Women with disabilities experience the same types of violence as other women in the community - that is physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse. Women with disabilities also experience forms of violence particular to their situation. Women with disabilities are often not respected or valued for who they are; in general they are poorer than other women; they experience more isolation and can be more dependent on partners, family members or carers. Because of this, women with disabilities can be vulnerable to forms of abuse that do not fit traditional definitions of violence. Withholding equipment, food and medication; limiting access to communication devices; and threats of institutionalisation are some forms of disability related abuse that may go unreported (Nosek, Foley et al 2001).
Women with Disabilities Victoria have produced a key resource on violence against women with disabilities, entitled 'Building the Evidence: A report on the status of policy and practice in responding to violence against women with disabilities in Victoria' (2008). The Building the Evidence project analysed the extent to which Victorian family violence policy and practice recognised and provided for women with disabilities who experience violence; and made recommendations to improve responses to women with disabilities dealing with family violence. The research was undertaken because the full extent of violence against women with disabilities was unknown, because statistics about women with disabilities who experience violence are not collected well.
To access the Building the Evidence Report, go to:
www.wdv.org.au/publications.ht...
For more information on violence against women with disabilities, go to our website at www.wdv.org.au
If you are experiencing violence, you can contact:
Police - Dial 000
Women's Domestic Violence Crisis Service of Victoria
1800 015 188 (24 hour)
Men's Referral Service
1800 065 973 (Victoria)
Free, Anonymous, Confidential
The producer of this video is happy for it to be used to raise awareness of the issues entailed. So feel free to share it, screen it and otherwise use it in your work. For more information on this video, contact Sarah Boyd at sarah.boyd2@gmail.com
My Mother, bless her is mentally ill because of bulling in school and some men that have treated her very badly. Thankfully my Stepfather is a good man and has cared for her for over 30 years. Not many men like him in the UK! I think he deserves a medal! And my poor Mum deserves a holiday with all the pain and suffering she endures day in and out with the illness. She still believes to this day my Nan was not her Mother because school and men made her so ill! This is sad!
A person with a disability, especially a woman, needs a strong, trusted, and sincere advocate. These advocates are few and far between, and its generally up to the person with disability to find him or her. Human services agencies have too specific a mandate and excessive bureaucracy to fulfill this role.
I'm a lady with disabilities I can easily relate to these issues
Matthew. Thank you for speaking out. This sort of message is important. And it is time people started to act as team players to help the victims instead of allowing them to be bullied by a society that does not protect them. Waterhouse report and Jimmy Savile are proof that the Government/Councils are not doing their job. My Nan was only 4 when she was put into a children's home with her brothers. That home was a shed. The Government refused to pay out for her fathers army pension!
A couple years back, I tried to join a local support group that was open to everybody, and when the topic of rape came up, lots of women spoke about their experiences. However, when I spoke about mine, the Lady who put the group together, asked me to step outside for a minute, where I was told that the group is not for Gay people to complain about their former partners! I'm NOT Gay but a Victim of a Gay man abusing me! Regardless, I was kicked out and told not to speak to any of the members.
Woman with disability here, it sickens me that ableds laugh in our faces then go poor me as if they are the only ones who are victims. It just isn't true.
Good for you for speaking out. I hope more follow so we can force change!
They are such beautiful angels
I've been trying to find help to deal with the Traumatic effects it took on me, especially around Trust. But everywhere I go for help, I get told the same thing...not to dwell on the past. In fact, Forget the past and Focus on the Future.
There was a credit at the end about a men's program or line to call. Thus they weren't discriminating against men. Also, about the woman being the victim thing for having sex with a minor, I've seen a website portraying them as rapists with their names identifying them in a courtroom. Would you ever take a picture of a male rapist in a courtroom, or several of them and make a website? If there is one, I wouldn't even look at it out of fear. This video is empowering and educational.
I am not considered a woman with a disability I reported many forms of abuse to the authorities but I was ignored and laughed at
CNS Community Network Services in Michigan may have changed how they run things now, but back in the day I can't under good concise as a PTSD Survivor and Victim from the SIPS homes CNS placed me in years ago, how is CNS allowed to continue to do buisness.
Yeah No one knows the crap we endure.
Our world is missing one thing and that is teamwork! People need to team up and protect one another from bullying. The Government and Councils are not doing their job! They are the biggest bullies going. I was threatened when I tried to save the school field. Teachers were also threatened with the sack if they helped. I got actor Michael Sheen to write a letter of support to save the butterfly meadow and sports field. Search google and you will see it was in the paper.
Hi Matt, that's terrible that that happened to you and good on you for speaking out about it. All those things you mentioned, sadly, come as no surprise to me, in terms of what the research and people with disabilities tell us. Have you sought support for yourself? (message continued...)
Make me so sad. Also like mention to parents of disabled kids becareful with your disabled kids go special needs schools lot abuse do happen in them in secret which break there mental state just monitor closely there behaviour. Teachers can be cruel at those places too
...CASA do great work in assisting people who have been sexually assaulted. They are Australia wide - maybe check out their websites. Thanks again Matt for sharing your experience of abuse with us - I'm sure it helps other people know that they are not alone. - Sarah
Thanks for your comment. I have now added a closed captions track to the video that can be accessed through the CC button. It is my first attempt at doing captions and I welcome any feedback for improvement :) - Sarah
Good video by the way. The UK is not their for people! My poor Nan was begging to die when she was in an old peoples home. She felt degraded having a man take her to the toilet. Bed sores. She ended up starving herself to death because our Country treats animals better than human beings. My Nan was a strong women, I take after her thankfully. I want to know why the English Government did not pay her fathers army pension and why she was put in a shed they called a children's home!
Butterfly, Thank you for your kind and supportive comments. I've tried talking about this through other sites, and the moderator of the group has banned me from saying that sort of thing. Yet it's okay for women to talk about it. Hold on a moment... Women are fighting for Power and Equality, yet when it comes to abuse, Women are fighting to be weaker than men, with the odds of how many women compared to men get abused, in order to make Male Victims not that important. Strange!!!