Examining Sexual Exploitation And Abuse Of Women With Disabilities: A Legal And Social Study
Shubhash Mujalde & Dr. Mahasweta Sengupta
DOI:
Abstract
Disabled women have, in general, been silenced within society, denied their rights and equal economic and social opportunities due to prejudice, stigma, and poverty. They are commonly perceived as asexual, which means that they are denied the possibility of close relationships or marriage. It is assumed that they are incapable of handling the maternal role; hence, too often forced to undergo sterilization. Sexual Violence and abuse are serious problems for persons with disabilities, especially for women with disabilities, who are at greater risk than non-disabled persons. World Health Organization, in its World Report on Violence and Health 2002, defines sexual violence as “any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work.”
“Violence against women” has been defined in Article 1 of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, 1993 to mean “any act of gender-based violence that results in or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” The social context of disability, including factors such as inaccessibility, reliance on support services, poverty and isolation, has a powerful impact on individuals’ increased risk for violence.