Women, Disability, and Double Vulnerability
摘要
Women in the Pacific region with disabilities face discrimination that takes on different forms and is interrelated. This discrimination is mainly caused by gender inequality, cultural stigma, and precarious land rights, coupled with the socio-economic barriers that are common in the region. The chapter concentrates on a study of the combined impact of disability and gender on women who are called “double vulnerable” and charts the discussion through land inheritance and ownership problems in the Solomon Islands, the seclusion of women in rural Pacific areas, and the calamities that cause additional hardships. The authors draw on a variety of sources, including empirical research, regional statistics, and intersectional theory, to claim that women's lack of power and participation is a result of the existing norms of discrimination, low-quality education, and lack of access to good jobs, sexual and reproductive health services, and support networks. Furthermore, women with intellectual disabilities who also suffer from menstrual stigma, who do not have proper washing and sanitation facilities, and who live in areas without safe evacuation routes are the ones who suffer the most during such calamities. The underlying analysis leads to the requirement for disability-inclusive and gender-responsive policies, strong rights-based community support systems, and development approaches consistent with the CRPD, CEDAW, and the Sendai Framework. The chapter illustrates a situation in which the essential steps are to enact structural and policy reforms, upgrade data systems, and build partnerships that recognize women with disabilities as targets of the issue and as solutions to the resilience and development of the Pacific.