Stereotyping Gender And Disability Wome
Women Enabled, Inc. www.WomenEnabled.org WomenEnabled@gmail.com
Advocating for the Rights of All Women!
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 57th Session, 8 March 2013
Gender and Disability Stereotyping: Double Bind, Double Stigma
Stephanie Ortoleva, Esq.
President, Women Enabled, Inc.
President@WomenEnabled.org - www.WomenEnabled.org
Introduction
The ground-breaking book authored by Rebecca J. Cook and Simone Cusack entitled “Gender
Stereotyping: Transnational Legal Perspectives” published in 2010, set the stage for women’s rights advocacy and legal reform efforts to eradicate gender stereotypes, understand the implications for such stereotypes on the human rights of women and outlined the possible strategies for eliminating gender stereotypes through transnational legal strategies and mechanisms and human rights advocacy. Gender stereotypes are addressed in domestic and international law as well as on decisions rendered by courts and human rights treaty bodies.
The authors define stereotyping as: a generalized view or preconception of attributes' or characteristics possessed by, or the roles that are or should be performed by members of the particular group (e.g., women, lesbians, adolescents, older women, women with disabilities, women of color, etc.)
However, generally legal and policy analysis fails to consider the impact of gender stereotyping on women and girls with disabilities, as well as the compounded implications of disability stereotyping, when combined with gender stereotyping, on the human rights and lives of women and girls with disabilities. (Henceforth, the term “women with disabilities” should be considered to include both women and girls with disabilities unless otherwise stated.)
In April 2013, the Committee on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities .
(CRPD Committee) will embark on a General Discussion on Women’s Rights under the
1
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)CRPD,)1 in preparation
Advocating for the Rights of All Women!
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 57th Session, 8 March 2013
Gender and Disability Stereotyping: Double Bind, Double Stigma
Stephanie Ortoleva, Esq.
President, Women Enabled, Inc.
President@WomenEnabled.org - www.WomenEnabled.org
Introduction
The ground-breaking book authored by Rebecca J. Cook and Simone Cusack entitled “Gender
Stereotyping: Transnational Legal Perspectives” published in 2010, set the stage for women’s rights advocacy and legal reform efforts to eradicate gender stereotypes, understand the implications for such stereotypes on the human rights of women and outlined the possible strategies for eliminating gender stereotypes through transnational legal strategies and mechanisms and human rights advocacy. Gender stereotypes are addressed in domestic and international law as well as on decisions rendered by courts and human rights treaty bodies.
The authors define stereotyping as: a generalized view or preconception of attributes' or characteristics possessed by, or the roles that are or should be performed by members of the particular group (e.g., women, lesbians, adolescents, older women, women with disabilities, women of color, etc.)
However, generally legal and policy analysis fails to consider the impact of gender stereotyping on women and girls with disabilities, as well as the compounded implications of disability stereotyping, when combined with gender stereotyping, on the human rights and lives of women and girls with disabilities. (Henceforth, the term “women with disabilities” should be considered to include both women and girls with disabilities unless otherwise stated.)
In April 2013, the Committee on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities .
(CRPD Committee) will embark on a General Discussion on Women’s Rights under the
1
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)CRPD,)1 in preparation