This is the tenth of a series of interviews with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). In this interview, we spoke with MEP Rosa Estaràs Ferragut about the progress regarding disability rights since she first joined the Disability Intergroup of the European Parliament (EP) in 2009. We also spoke about the rights of women and girls with disabilities, systemic and pervasive inequalities and discrimination, gender-based violence and the way forward to improve the human rights situation of women with disabilities. Finally, we spoke about the stigmatization and exclusion of autistic people and the necessity to fight for an equal and fair society.
Navigate the content per question:
- Disability Rights in the EU: progress and remaining challenges
- The rights of women and girls with disabilities
- The stigmatization and exclusion of autistic people
Making Europe a better place for people with disabilities
Question: You have been a long-standing ally of the disability movement in the European Parliament since 2009. In your view, what have been the most significant progress, and what are the remaining challenges that the European Union (EU) should address regarding the right of persons with disabilities?
Answer: Yes indeed, since 2009 I am part of the Disability Intergroup, here, at the European Parliament. I believe that inside Europe we have had significant progress in making Europe a better place for people with disabilities. We have been fighting for the rights of people with disabilities. Let me highlight some of our progress; our European Disability Strategy, our resolutions of the rights of women with disabilities, the Marrakesh Treaty, the European Accessibility Act and the creation of the Accessible EU centre.
Remaining promises and challenges
Answer: We have done much so far but we indeed have remaining promises and challenges. For example, currently, we are experiencing a digitalization process, we are changing our whole way of living, and therefore it is of utmost importance to take into consideration always the principle of no discrimination and inclusion- not letting anyone behind- when enacting digital policies. Furthermore, the principle of no discrimination together with the principle of accessibility must also be taken into consideration in all European funds and all public contracts inside the European Union.
Finally, one remaining promise we are still fighting for, together with the European Commission, is the European Disability Card. I hope we can make it work before the end of this term. This initiative has been pushed by the current Commission, under the leadership of Ms Ursula Von Der Leyen, and has been many times discussed within the Parliament; let us see if we can make it happen before the next election. For me, this is our major challenge and our objective that should be addressed and will show, once more, a complete compromise of the European Union with the rights of people with disabilities.
Protecting the rights of women and girls with disabilities
Question: As a member of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, in your opinion, what measures need to be adopted to protect the rights of women and girls with disabilities?
Answer: The protection of women’s rights and the rights of persons with disabilities has been high on my agenda as an MEP. How to move forward together to achieve tangible results and better protect the rights of women with disabilities?
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Systemic and pervasive inequalities and discrimination
Numerous systemic barriers affect the realisation of the human rights of women with disabilities, such as marginalisation and invisibility. These are rooted in harmful prejudices and stereotypes related to gender and disability and related power imbalances that are deeply rooted in our societies. These problems need to be recognised so that appropriate action can be taken to effect change. In particular, societal stereotypes of persons with disabilities as dependent persons are at the root of laws and policies that continue to allow institutionalisation, deprivation of legal capacity and segregation in education, in violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and other human rights standards.
Women with disabilities are also affected by inequalities and discrimination in all areas of their lives. They have lower employment and income rates, are less educated and have more unmet health needs compared to men with disabilities and women without disabilities. Lack of statistical data: Despite its pervasive nature, discrimination and other human rights violations experienced by women with disabilities often go unrecognised. For example, there is a lack of statistical data, disaggregated by gender and disability, on the impact of COVID-19 on the health and lives of people living in institutions. However, more accurate data are needed to guide policy decisions. These are warning signs that policymakers are not paying adequate attention to the situation of women with disabilities. In fact, gender and disability often seem to be afterthoughts in national policy-making and their intersectional aspects are frequently ignored.
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Gender-based violence
It is estimated that women with disabilities are two to five times more likely to experience violence compared to other women. However, women with disabilities are often ignored by police and other support services when reporting such violence. Women with disabilities are also often subjected to sexual violence. Women with disabilities are also at greater risk of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies. They are less likely to be able to access recovery and rehabilitation services and justice.
In addition, the sexuality of women with disabilities is generally not recognised as a matter of exercising control over their lives, which means that they are often subjected to sterilisations, contraceptives and involuntary abortions, as well as other medical procedures performed without their free and informed consent. Currently, legislation in 13 EU member states still allows for the forced sterilisation of persons with disabilities. The reasons invoked for these forms of violence include “the best interests of the person”, “to protect the person against sexual abuse”, and “to facilitate contraception”.
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The way forward
There are many things that Council of Europe member states must do to improve the human rights situation of women with disabilities. These include actions to:
- Ensure the full participation of women with disabilities in decision-making that affects them, in line with the principle “Nothing about us without us”.
- Address harmful prejudices and stereotypes against women and persons with disabilities.
- Address gender and disability as cross-cutting issues, across all policy sectors.
- Adequately address intersectionalities. Many women have disabilities and persons with disabilities are also women and girls, and it is time to reflect this in laws and policies.
- End coercion in mental health settings and ensure that women with disabilities have voluntary access to information to enable them to make free and informed decisions about their health, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- Intensify measures to increase gender equality and combat all forms of violence against women and domestic violence.
Denouncing the stigmatization and exclusion of autistic people
Question: You recently hosted a photo exhibition and a conference in the European Parliament on building an inclusive society for autistic people. Can you tell us more about the objectives of both events? What motivated the organisation of this conference? What do you hope to achieve?
Answer: Yes, on the occasion of International Autism Day, we carried out two events. On the one hand, a photographic exhibition in which 25 people offered the vision of autistic people, expressing their desire to be heard, and to achieve equal opportunities among people with autism, regardless of the country in which they live. And, on the other hand, a conference called “Building an inclusive society for autistic people” was attended by students and teachers of the Esment Foundation, together with the association Autism Europe, where they shared their testimonies of experiences and professional careers.
We wanted to denounce the stigmatization and exclusion that autistic people still suffer too often. People with autism do not need to be replaced, but to be assisted in making decisions, and that is something that foundations like ESMENT advocate for, where they guide people on the autism spectrum and offer them the necessary services to build their lives, through employment, training and occupation.
Currently, in Spain, 4.38 million people living in family homes have some kind of disability. For them, we must fight until society puts on the glasses of equality, which are the glasses of European values until we achieve the ultimate goal of living in a fair world where we are all equal.