On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the European Parliament’s President, Roberta Metsola, met with a delegation of European disability advocates to discuss how the Parliament can advance disability rights.
The European Disability Forum was represented by our Secretary General Ana Peláez Narváez and our Executive Committee Member Nadia Hadad.
The delegation discussed the ongoing Disability Rights Week and focused on:
- The specific challenges faced by women and girls with disabilities, especially the need to criminalise forced sterilization of women and girls with disabilities.
- Ensuring that the EU upholds its obligations towards the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- The European disability movement demands to update the European Strategy on the Rights of Persons 2021-2030 with new flagship actions.
- The implementation of the newly-adopted Directive on the European Disability Card and European Parking Card.
- EU’s action on the fields of accessibility and employment.
Our Secretary General Ana Peláez Narváez stated:
I appreciated the discussion with President Metsola, during which I emphasised the need to not regress on human rights in the EU – especially the rights of persons with disabilities, women, migrants or other marginalised people. I asked the President to ensure the European Parliament keeps its progressive approach to intersectionality and to the rights of women, persons with disabilities, and all minority groups.