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Violence against women with disabilities: what can we learn from the government’s action plan?

On Wednesday 8 March 2023, the government presented its plan for equality between women and men, which contains several measures aimed at combating sexual violence against women with disabilities.

The numbers are staggering. According to an IFOP survey commissioned by the Association for the Social and Professional Integration of the Disabled (LADAPT), one in five women with disabilities has already been a victim of rape, which is double the rate observed for all women. A percentage that rises to 33% when it comes to mental, psychic or cognitive disability. They are also at the forefront of domestic violence (35%). ” Their situation of physical, psychological and economic vulnerability exposes them more to predatory behavior. analyze the report. This complements data from DREES, which revealed in 2020 that 1.9% of women with disabilities. The latter also report having experienced sexual violence in the last two years, compared to 0.8% of the non-disabled.

The triple penalty for women with disabilities

More often victims, less scrutinized and much less believed, disabled women therefore suffer a triple penalty.

Interviewed by AFP, psychiatrist Muriel Salmona, a specialist in psychotrauma, talks about the consequences of this violence, which creates “behavioral disturbances or dissociation, as if the person is anesthetized, disconnected, amorphous. These symptoms will be attributed to the disability. Or we will say that the person is talking nonsense. » In addition to poorly identifying the victims, their reception is insufficient, even completely unsuitable in police stations and other gendarmerie posts.

Anne-Sarah Kertudo, founder of the association Plural lawspecializing in legal support for people with disabilities, told AFP of the extremely shocking abuses suffered by some complainants: “The deaf, for example, are asked to find a sign language interpreter to deal with their complaint. Some were even asked to mimic their own rape. » Sometimes, police stations simply refuse to question complainants, on the pretext that they are disabled.

A five-year plan to provide a first set of solutions

On Wednesday 8 March, the executive presented its five-year strategy for gender equality. Among the hundreds of measures presented, some are dedicated to the fight against sexual violence against people with disabilities. These first response elements, provided in response to reports from various associations, aim to better identify this violence, for example by creating adequate reporting tools, provided to people with disabilities as soon as they enter a medical-social institution, promoting the access to gynecological care, or by organizing awareness workshops on consent and on emotional and sexual life…

The minister for people with disabilities, Geneviève Darrieussecq, also asked for it “training of police and gendarmes, in national education and medico-social sector to detect weak signals, collect testimonies, especially from non-verbal people”. A statement that goes in the direction of associations and professionals, who ask for better training for law enforcement and the provision of adequate communication tools.

Source: Madmoizelle

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