Transcript Der Erste Gleichstellungsbericht der Bundesregierung

Violence against women with
disabilities
German Concept
International Conference, Madrid 27. – 29. Juni 2012
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
I Legal background of disabiliy policy in Germany
I Results of the new study: ‘Life situations and problems
of women with disabilities in Germany’
I German strategy: Protection of women with disabilities
against discrimination and violence
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Disability policy in Germany
I Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany:‘No
person shall be disfavoured because of disability‘
(Article 3)
I Book IX of the Social Code 2001‚Integration and
Rehabilitation of disabled people‘ ((SGB IX), includes
a Gender perspective
I Act on Equal Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities 2002 (BGG)
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Disability policy in Germany
I The General Act on Equal Treatment 2006 (AGG)
incorporates four Anti-Discrimination Directives of the
EU into German law:
I Grounds of Discrimination: race or ethnic origin,
gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual
orientation.
I foresees the protection of persons who have been the
victims of multiple discrimination (p.e. Women with
disability)
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Disability policy in Germany
I Germany signed the UN-Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol on
30 March 2007
I CRPD and the Optional Protocol have been binding in
Germany since March 2009
I National Action Plan for implementing the UNConvention in 2011(special area: women)
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Disability policy in Germany
I Federal Commissioner for the Affairs of Disabled
Persons 2002 (Act on Equal Opportunities for Persons
with Disabilities)
I The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (FADA) is an
independent focal point to which persons affected by
discrimination may turn. It was established in 2006
(General Act on Equal Treatment)
I CRPD Monitoring Body as an integral part of the
German Institute for Human Rights since 2008
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Combating Violence against Women
Germany policy
I Protection against violence Act (2002)
I In 2007 the Federal Government of Germany has
decreed the National Action Plan II to combat violence
against women: The Protection of Women with
disabilities is one of the main objectives
I In 2011 Germany signed the Council of Europe
Convention on preventing and combating violence
against women and domestic violence,
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Life situations and problems of women with
disabilities in Germany
I One of the major gaps that had been identified was that women with
disabilities were on the one hand to a much higher degree than the
overall female population victims of violence. Therefore to improve
the protection of women with disabilities is one of the main
objectives of the National Action Plan II
I The BMFSFJ started a research study of violence against women
with disabilities in 2009 in order to develop targeted measures
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
The study was done in 2009 – 2011 on behalf of the
BMFSFJ by:
I Dr. Monika Schröttle, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung - IFF
(Interdisciplinary Centre for Women‘s and Gender Research) of the Universität Bielefeld (project
management)
I Prof. Dr. Claudia Hornberg, School of Public Health of the Universität Bielefeld (project
management)
I Dr. Sandra Glammeier, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung - IFF of
the Universität Bielefeld (research assistant)
I Dr. Brigitte Sellach, Gesellschaft für Sozialwissenschaftliche Frauen- und Genderforschung e.V. –
GSF (Society for Social Science Women’s and Gender Research) Frankfurt (co-operation partner)
I Prof. Dr. Barbara Kavemann, (Sozialwissenschaftliches FrauenForschungsInstitut Freiburg SOFFI.F, Social Science Women’s Research Institute Freiburg, Berlin Office), Berlin (co-operation
partner)
I Dr. Henry Puhe/Ute Wagemann, SOKO Institut GmbH for Social Research and Communication,
Bielefeld (co-operation partner)
I Prof. Dr. Julia Zinsmeister Fachhochschule Köln, Fakultät für Angewandte Sozialwissenschaften,
Institut für Soziales Recht (Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Social
Sciences, Institute of Social Law) (co-operation partner)
I Interns: Kathrin Vogt, Nadine Vinke, Kristin Koch, Nadja Weirich, Katharina Plehn, Armin Wolf,
Olga Elli, Daniel Mecke (Universität Bielefeld)
I More than 100 interviewers in various teams
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
With consistent guidance and support
from:
I Weibernetz e.V. (represents the political interests of women with
disabilities)
I Hessisches Netzwerk behinderter Frauen (Hessian network of
women with disabilities)
I Forum e.V. (lobbies for persons with disabilities)
I Deutscher Gehörlosenbund (German association of legally deaf
persons)
I Several more associations and organisations of persons with
disabilities
I Many more experts from science, practice and lobbying
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
The study is the first one worldwide to have
surveyed women with disabilities in a representative
manner and reached different target groups …
I both in households and in institutions
I topics: life situation, history of violence and discrimination
during childhood, adolescence and adult life
I in normal language and simplified language
I deaf women (interviews in German sign language)
I women with or without disabled persons card
I large number of women with different disabilities and
impairments
I total number of interviewees: more than 1,500 women.
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Overview – Study design and elements
representative
Households
800
women
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not representative
Institutions
420 women
Additional survey
341 women in
of whom:
households
-102 women with mental
of whom:
illness or
-128 blind/legally
extreme/multiple physical blind women,
disabilities
-130 women with
(in normal
extreme/multiple
language)
physical
- 318 women with
disabilities
learning difficulties/so83 deaf/legally
called intellectual
deaf women (in
impairments (in
German sign
simplified language)
language)
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
Qualitative study
31 violenceaffected women in
households and
institutions
Survey of
assistance and
support needs
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Results of the representative household
and institutional survey
1. Women‘s impairments
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multiple impairments in all groups surveyed
high proportion of women with psychological problems
in all groups surveyed
household survey: in spite of major problems 60% not
holding a severely handicapped persons pass
frequent adult onset of disability in:
- 2/3 of women living in households
- 1/2 of institutionalised women surveyed in normal
language
- less than 10% of women interviewed in simplified
language.
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Social structure and structural
disadvantages
1. Representative survey elements: disadvantages strongest in
institutionalised women:
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2.
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less likely to have qualified schooling and vocational training
tend to work in sheltered workshops receiving low pay.
more likely to be unmarried / no relationship.
less likely to have children.
experience restrictions to self-determined life.
Women in the non-representative add-on survey are also affected by
structural discriminations
low household incomes (particularly of deaf women, in spite of higher levels of
economic activity)
financial strains/existential anxieties (in all 3 groups):
income level insufficient to make a living and cover extra needs-based
expenses.
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Discriminations and structural violence in
everyday life
Almost all women with disabilities and impairments (8199%) have experienced discriminatory acts committed by
individuals/institutions
Concrete instances of disenfranchisement and discrimination by
individuals/institutions:
- reported by about one out of every two or three women in the
representative household/institutional survey (add-on survey: approx.
75% )
feel they are not taken seriously:
- reported by approx. 40-60% (add-on survey: 70-82%)
irritating, patronising or discriminatory behaviour by others in
relation to the disability
- reported by one out of three women (add-on survey: approx. 65%)
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Institutionalised women were particularly likely to
report restrictions to self-determined life
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lack of decision-making and choices
I
poor protection of privacy
I
poor protection from psychological, physical and sexual violence at
the hands of residents and staff
I
absence of close and trusting relationships
I
rarely any partner or family relationships in institutions
I
lack of educational and training resources
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next to no financial resources of their own
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Lifetime history of physical, psychological
and sexual violence
Women in the study were clearly more likely than women
without disabilities to have experienced psychological,
physical and sexual violence during childhood, youth and
adult life
I
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interrelation between violence and disability
violence in childhood and youth
- more likely to experience parental physical and mainly
psychological violence
* psychological violence: ca. 50-60% (vs. 36% in women without disab.)
* physical violence: 74-90% (vs. 81%)
- 2 to 3 times more likely to have experienced childhood/youth sexual
abuse :
one in three or four women in the household and institutional survey
reported sexual assaults by children/youth and adults
(add-on survey: one out of every 2 or 3 women)
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Physical, psychological and sexual
violence in adult life
Women in the study were clearly more likely to have
experienced sexual violence, even as adults.
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Sexual violence in adult life
- 2 to 3 times more likely than average population to experience sexual
violence as adults
- more than 1 out of 3 or 5 women in the representative survey
experienced sexual assaults as adults (most affected are deaf women at
43% and women with mental health disorders at 38%)
Physical violence in adult life
- almost twice as likely as women in the average population (58-75%
vs. 35%
+ more serious and threatening assaults)
Psychological violence in adult life
- also clearly more prevalent than in the average population (68-90%
vs. 45%)
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Physical, psychological and sexual
violence – women in the add-on
survey
I
Deaf women: most heavily affected by physical and sexual violence
- 75% physical violence
- 43% sexual violence
- 41% physical intimate partner violence
I
Blind women and women with extreme/multiple physical disabilities;
particularly often in threatening ways, perceived inability to defend
oneself properly
(very low levels of perceived safety, even in public)
Experience violence more often in all areas of life (not only in
partnerships/family, but even and increasingly in public, world of
work, at the hands of strangers/persons they hardly know)
I
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Experience of violence and perpetrators
Perpetrators predominantly from family and partnership, immediate
social environment (+ persons in institutions)
I
Perpetrators predominantly from social proximity
(mainly partners and family members; women with disabilities are
clearly more likely than those without to experience violence at the
hands of partners/ex partners)
I
Plus perpetrators in institutions
(Staff - psychological violence, and residents - psychological, physical
and sexual violence)
I
Psychological violence frequently also dealt out by offices and agencies
as well as health services (especially to women living in households and
women in the add-on survey)
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Results of the qualitative surveys
I
Especially women with so-called intellectual impairments struggle to
find support outside the institution; they are often not believed.
I
Majority of support services not accessible to women, neither lowthreshold nor target group-oriented
I
Search for support made difficult by dependencies / problems of
self-worth and limited social contacts.
I
Institutions tend to be closed systems, assaults go undetected
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Conclusion
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Women with disabilities have so far been inadequately
protected from physical, sexual and psychological violence
Increased activities are necessary to provide for lowthreshold and accessible protection and support services
Doctors are relevant for communicating information and
providing support
Institutionalised women and girls: consistent protection
from and prevention of violence
Violence prevention must be accompanied by the consistent
reduction of discrimination and structural violence
Measures are necessary that strengthen the self-confidence
and self-reliance of women with disabilities
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Concept of the german strategy
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I
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Empowering women and girls with
disabilities so that they are able to confront
those who overstep boundaries and
attempt attacks
Improve the self-confidence of women and
girls p.e
Improve the protection of women with
disabilities
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Projects in Germany
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Commissioners of women‘affairs in facilities for
occupational rehabilitation and sheltered
workshops
Weibernetz „Representing the Political interests
of disabled Women“
Training within the framework of rehabilitation
sports programmes ‚SELF – Self-confidence for
disabled girls and women
Support female students with disabilities
/Hildegardis-Verein
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
Anti-Violence Projects in Germany
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I
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National helpline on violence against women, barrier free,
by the end of 2012 a nationalwide toll free telephone
helpline will start operation
I
More and more shelters in the past years have improved
their buildings and services to support women with
disabilities with the aid of financial support from the
Federal Governments building fund (Konjunkturpaket II).
The umbrella organization of women’s shelters in Germany
has published material in easy language to also address
learning impaired women.
Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015
Gleichstellung
•Thank you for your
attention
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Angelika Diggins-Rösner BMFSFJ
7/17/2015