Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) is delighted to announce that the Australian Government has provided WWDA with funding for 3 years to enable the views of women with disability to be represented in Australian Government policies which impact women.
While across Australia, 20% of women, or more than 2 million women have a disability; women and girls with disabilities have historically had little opportunity to participate in the development of policies regarding the rights of women.
The executive director of WWDA, Carolyn Frohmader has explained “This funding is the result of decades of advocacy from women with disabilities demanding a place at the table.”
For the first time, WWDA will be funded through the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, as one of six specialist National Women’s Alliances.
As an Alliance, WWDA will represent, and advocate for, all women, girls feminine identifying and non-binary people with disabilities in Australia and collaborate with policymakers and other stakeholders to inform Australian Government policies and programs regarding the rights of women. Through the national Women with Disability Alliance, women and girls with disabilities will be afforded channels and mechanisms to have their voices heard in initiatives to inform Australian Government policies and programs which impact women.
WWDA thanks the Australian Government, and the Minister for Women, Hon. Marise Payne, for entrusting us with this responsibility, and for recognising the critical importance of the inclusion of women and girls with disability in Australian Government initiatives regarding the rights of women and the promotion of gender equality.
In welcoming the announcement, WWDA President Tricia Malowney OAM said, “This funding means that WWDA can be resourced to continue the work that we have already been contributing to, and adequately consult with and represent our members on pressing issues such as violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights and economic security.”
WWDA looks forward to collaborating with the other National Women’s Alliances, which were announced this morning by the Minister for Women. The six successful specialist National Women’s Alliances are:
- Women’s safety: National Women’s Safety Alliance (YWCA Canberra);
- Women’s economic security and leadership: Equality Rights Alliance (YWCA Australia);
- Australian women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: Harmony Alliance (Migration Council Australia)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance
- Women living in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia: National Rural Women’s Coalition
- Australian women with disability: Women with Disabilities (Australia)
“We look forward to working with the Office for Women to address long-standing, but often overlooked human rights issues, such as the forced contraception and sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities, and the denial of decision-making rights through systems which condone substitute-decision making and institutional living,” said Ms Frohmader
You can read the Minister for Women’s Media Release at:
https://ministers.pmc.gov.au/payne/2021/funding-national-womens-alliances
About WWDA
Women With Disabilities Australia is the award-winning national representative organisation run by, and for, women, girls, feminine identifying and non-binary people with disabilities. Learn more about WWDA here:
For further comment contact:
Carolyn Frohmader
Executive Director
Women With Disabilities Australia
0438 535 535
