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Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Germany Mona Sinno Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Germany (Strasbourg, 29 October 2008) . Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Germany. Gender Mainstreaming
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Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in GermanyMona SinnoFederal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Germany(Strasbourg, 29 October 2008)
Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Germany • Gender Mainstreaming • universal guiding principle of government action in Germany • Women and girls with disabilities are often more seriously affected by discrimination than non-disabled women and girls or men with disabilities. • Because of multiple discrimination they have difficulties in exercising their right to social participation
Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Germany - Overview - • Legal provisions in Germany • Importance of interest representatives • Examples of government activities
Legal provisions • Social Code, Book Nine – rehabilitation and participation of people with disabilities - of 2001 • supports the right to self-determination for people with disabilities • from the very outset: the needs of women with disabilities must be taken into account when it comes to promoting self-determination and equal participation in community life.
Legal provisions • Act on Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities of 2002 • in enforcing gender equality the special needs of women with disabilities have to be considered • existing disadvantages have to be eliminated • women with disabilities or at risk of becoming disabled must be protected against gender-specific stress situations, in particular at the workplace • explicitely allowed: special measures to enforce gender equality and eliminate disadvantages („positive discrimination“)
Legal provisions • General Equal Treatment Act of 2006 • i.a.: protection against discrimination for women and men with disabilities also in the sphere of civil law labour market/working life, bulk transactions and private insurance contracts • main component of the „Act to transpose European Directives implementing the principle of equal treatment“
Interest representation • In the past: neither in disability policy nor women‘s policy due consideration was given to the interests of women and girls with disabilities • In the early 80s disabled women began organising into some first groups • Objective: strengthen disabled women‘s self- confidence, thus increasing quality of life and political clout
Interest representation • „Weibernetz e.V.“ – Federal Network of Women, Lesbians and Girls with Disabilities, since 1996 • meanwhile established as interest representation of women with disabilities at federal level • members play an active role in working groups • participation in hearings and meetings in the context of the legislative process to enact Book Nine of the Social Code and the Act on Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities • since 2003, financially supported by the Federal Government and continuous exchange of views
Examples of government action • financial support for the project „SELBST – Selbstbewusstsein für behinderte Mädchen und Frauen“ (SELF-Self-confidence for women and girls with disabilities) • scientific survey to identify criteria to be met by self-confidence courses • Study on the extent and degree of violence against women with disabilities • representative survey on violence against women with disabilities • specific problems are elaborated, scientifically systemised and investigated
Examples of government action • Special evaluation of the 2005 federal statistics • with a view to improving the data available on the situation of women with disabilities • identifying indicators for the life situations of women with disabilities • illustrating differences compared with the situation of non-disabled women and men with disabilities
Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in GermanyThank you for your attention!(mona.sinno@bmas.bund.de)