The Status of Women and Girls with Disability in Australia

This document was prepared by WWDA CEO, Carolyn Frohmader for and on behalf of Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPO Australia) and the National Women’s Alliances.

In 1995, the United Nations in Beijing, China held the Fourth World Conference on Women where all attending nations agreed to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPFA). The BPFA was a landmark agreement. It sets strategic objectives and actions for the advancement of women and the achievement of gender equality in 12 critical areas of concern. The Commission on the Status of Women has been responsible for systemically reviewing the progress in the implementation of the twelve critical areas of concern. This paper details the current status of those 12 critical areas of concern for women and girls with disability and provides action-oriented recommendations to increase implementation of these.

Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA): Report on Outcomes: National Women’s Alliances and Disabled Peoples Organisations Australia Workshop (November 2018) [PDF] [DOC]

In October 2018, WWDA oragnised and hosted a one-day workshop with key decision makers from each of the six National Women’s Alliances and the four member organisations of Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPO Australia). The purpose of the workshop was to explore how the organisations could collaborate to strengthen representation and engagement of women with disability across the women’s sector. This report details the outputs and outcoms of this important workshop.

Cashelle Dunn: The Sterilisation of Girls with Disability: The State Responsibility to Protect Human Rights (September 2018) [PDF] [DOC]

‘The Sterilisation of Girls with Disability: The State Responsibility to Protect Human Rights’ provides an in-depth ethical and legal examination of Australia’s failure to enact legislation to protect the human rights of young women and girls with disability in relation to forced and coerced sterilisation. The paper was researched and written by WWDA Youth Network Manager and Project Officer, Cashelle Dunn as part of her studies at University of Melbourne. Text © 2018 Cashelle Dunn. Design © 2018 Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA).

Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA): Response to List of Issues and Questions in Relation to the Eighth Periodic Report of Australia to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (July 2018) [PDF] [DOC]

In July 2018, WWDA provided a shadow report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women’s (CEDAW) review of Australia’s implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. The submission responds to the List of Issues provided to the Australian Government by the committee.

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