STAY SAFE

Preventing and responding to sexual violence
against women with disabilities

women with psycho-social disabilities have the highest risk to be victim of violence

Women with disabilities are less likely to disclose violence or seek help

women with disabilities are often unaware they are being abused

Project background

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the global prevalence and risk of violence against adults with disabilities published in the Lancet during the past years, found that overall adults with disabilities are 1.5 times more likely to be victims of violence than those without a disability. Women with psycho-social disabilities  in particular, have the highest risk to be a victim of gender based violence and often unable to disclose violence or seek help. This is due to:
•  women being unaware they are being abused or recognizing ill treatment –thinking it is normal;
• a cognitive inability to comprehend what is happening;
• dependence on partner and/or fear of losing partner or children;
• fear of institutionalization, lack of screening for violence, not being aware of her rights and laws to protect her, and lack of access to information on prevention or protection.

If they do seek help, they are met with physical, resource, and attitudinal barriers, for example, because social workers may not understand the issues facing women with disabilities, and disability sector workers may not be educated about the high risk of violence.

Tools for professionals

The project aims at: 

The model is based on creative drama technique targeting women with psycho-social disabilities and professionals to recognize, react and report to sexual harassment episodes.

Raise awareness among professionals (psychologists, social workers, medical staff, carers, etc.), working in the disability field of the risk of sexual harassment to which women with psycho-social disabilities are exposed and to provide them with instruments to replicate the training programme

STAY SAFE RESOURCES

Find out the set of tools developed for women with disabilities and professionals working with them!

News from the project

Stay safe training participants testimonies

Professionals from all around Europe took part to the piloting of the Stay Safe training resources. Want to hear about their experience and the impact it had on them? Watch these video-interviews!

Now I understand what sexual violence is!

I realised that I must ask for help if I find myself in dangerous situations. Results of the Stay Safe training for women with psychosocial disabilities and care professionals During the last quarter of last…

Stay Safe Project: final conference – March 17, 2022

Stay Safe project: preventing and responding to sexual violence against women with psycho-social disabilities  Final conference – Thursday 17 March 2022 – ONLINE EVENT How to protect women with psycho-social disabilities against gender-based violence, both online and offline?…
Social workers may not understand the issues facing women with disabilities, and disability sector workers may not be educated about the high risk of violence

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This website has been accomplished during the project “STAYSAFE – preventing and responding to sexual violence against women with disabilities”, implemented with financial support of the European Union by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC) Programme. ​This publication reflects the views only of the author, therefore the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. ​​
Stay Safe Project 2020