The UN Secretary General’s report, Ending Violence Against Women: From Words to Action (2006) is a 190 page document that includes a great deal of chilling but useful information related to disability.It is available as a pdf document (Caution large download). It recognizes that both the incidence and attributes of violence against women is different for women with disabilities.
Women with disabilities may experience violence in particular ways in their homes and institutional settings, perpetrated by family members, caretakers or strangers. Surveys conducted in Europe, North America and Australia have shown that over half of women with disabilities have experienced physical abuse, compared to one third of non-disabled women
It also discusses some of the special plight of abused women who have children with disabilities:
Women subjected to violence need access to shelters, medical, psychological and other support, legal aid and other services, as set out in a number of international instruments, policy and practice.287 In AT v. Hungary, the complainant could not access a shelter, as none in the country could support her and her two children, one of whom was disabled. Moreover, there were no protection orders or restraining orders under Hungarian law. The Committee found that the avenues available to the complainant were “not capable of providing immediate protection to her against ill-treatment by her former partner”. The Committee indicated that available, effective and sufficient remedies and rehabilitation for victims of domestic violence were necessary for safe and prompt access to justice, including free legal aid where necessary.
