Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Germany Mona Sinno Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Germ

1. Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in GermanyMona SinnoFederal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Germany(Strasbourg, 29 October 2008)‏

2. 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

3. Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Germany - Overview - • Legal provisions in Germany • Importance of interest representatives • Examples of government activities

4. 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.

5. 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“)

6. 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“

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Policies for Women and Girls with Disabilities in GermanyThank you for your attention!(mona.sinno@bmas.bund.de)