News

Volume 3 Issue 2 - January 15, 2005

NCW investigates disabled women's rights

DNIS News Network - NCW reports on the status of rights of disabled women.

‘Disabled women in India are becoming the victims of incest', states a nation-wide study by the National Commission for Women (NCW). In two reports called Right to Equity and Equity to Women with Disability in India , NCW revealed the database on prevalence of disabilities in the country and challenges faced by the disabled women.

“Incest is very common in India. Women with disabilities are an easy prey for exploitation within the family. In a majority of the instances, relatives and neighbours who are supporting them in daily task are involved,” it added.

In one of the findings, it has referred to “a mother of a mentally challenged girl about 19 who tearfully shared about her additional role to keep a watch on her daughter lest she be molested by the village youth.”

It also pointed out, “women and girls with disabilities are vulnerable to violence especially within home. Sexual abuse is quite common among women with mental and hearing disabilities even by the physicians.”

The report states that there is a large demand of parents of mentally disabled daughters for compulsory sterilization of their children. It also states that specifically, mental and hearing disabled girls and women are sterilized to avoid pregnancies resulting from rape and exploitation.