News & Media

WWDA News – September

24 September 2020

Call for WWDA Blog Commentary (Paid Opportunity)

Are you a woman, girl or non-binary person with disability that lives in Australia and likes to write, make videos or podcasts? We want to hear from you! WWDA will soon be launching a blog on our website.  WWDA’s new blog will belong to our community and be a space to explore what leadership means to…

Easy Read version of Our Site for women and girls with disability leading the way for accessible websites

Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) are again leading the way in advancing the rights of all women with disability through the release of an Easy Read version of the Our Site website. WWDA aims to improve the rights, safety and well-being of women and girls with disability across Australia. To achieve this, it is crucial…

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Translated Resources

WWDA has produced an Easy English ‘What is Coronavirus‘ document to explain some key facts about COVID-19 in a simple way. The document now available in 11 different languages. You can download the document in your preferred language as a PDF or Accessible Word DOC at: https://wwda.org.au/publication/coronavirus-covid-19-translated-resources/

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Easy Read update 16 March 2020

Women With Disabilities Australia have produced an Easy English document on the current CoronaVirus (COVID-19) for women and girls with disability living in Australia.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Easy Read update 16 March 2020

Women With Disabilities Australia have produced an Easy English document on the current CoronaVirus (COVID-19) for women and girls with disability living in Australia. Coronavirus is a virus that started in China and spread to many countries around the world, including Australia. Coronavirus is also called COVID-19. That is the scientific name of the virus.…

Opinion: The Sterilisation of Girls with Disability: The State Responsibility to Protect Human Rights

‘The Sterilisation of Girls with Disability: The State Responsibility to Protect Human Rights’ provides an in-depth ethical and legal examination of Australia’s failure to enact legislation to protect the human rights of young women and girls with disability in relation to forced and coerced sterilisation. The paper was researched and written by WWDA Youth Network…

UN Calls on Australia to End Forced Sterilisation

WWDA welcomes UN calls for Australia to abolish forced and coerced sterilisation of women and girls with disability, and people with intersex characteristics. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) made the recommendation in their Concluding Observations on Australia’s progress toward ending discrimination against women, released this week. The practice continues unabated,…

WWDA Meets with Researcher To Talk Sexual Citizenship and Disability

Last week, founding WWDA member Helen Meekosha met with Dr Julia Bahner, a researcher from the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds, to discuss WWDA’s ongoing work in the sexual and reproductive rights space. Dr Bahner’s current research focuses on sexual citizenship and disability. She is exploring disability organisations’ advocacy on sexual…

WWDA Survey: Access to Healthcare: Summary Report

In March 2018, WWDA conducted a short survey to ask our members and friends about healthcare accessibility. We’ve compiled a brief summary report of your responses from the survey. We’ve sent this summary report to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ to help inform her report on right of…

WWDA Survey: The Right to Health

What’s your experience of accessing healthcare? We would like to hear from our members and friends about the healthcare accessibility issues that are important to you. We’ve made a quick survey that will take around 10 minutes to complete. Your responses will help inform WWDA’s written submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the…

The Guardian: UN Examines Australia’s Forced Sterilisation of Women with Disabilities

WWDA Executive Director, Carolyn Frohmader was recently interviewed by Bridie Jabour from the Guardian Australia during the Untied Nations Australia Universal Periodic Review. An excerpt of the article is provided below. The United Nations has raised concerns Australia is breaching the human rights of women with disabilities by allowing their forced sterilisation. Australia’s human rights record is being assessed by…

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FIGHT TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN

“In 2007, Alice Goltz gave birth to a baby girl. But before she left the hospital, she says two men from the Vermont Department of Children and Families walked into her room. A hospital nurse had tipped them off, she says. The men told Goltz that because of her disability, she couldn’t go home with…

NEW REPORT: Torture in Healthcare Settings

‘Torture in Healthcare Settings: Reflections on the Special Rapporteur on Torture’s 2013 Thematic Report’ brings together contributions by more than thirty international experts in response to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E. Méndez’s provocative thematic report on torture and other abusive practices in healthcare settings. Each piece in this unique volume provides…