Violence against women with disabilities should be addressed from the perspective of citizens’ rights along with steps to enhance their mobility and security, speakers at a roundtable said yesterday.

They also said that integrating physically challenged women into mainstream of society is crucial to ensure their rights.

The National Council for Disabled Women, the Action on Disability and Development (ADD) and the Disability Rights Fund jointly organised the roundtable on ‘The right of women with disabilities to justice and their participation in mainstream activities’ at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) auditorium in the city.

“Women with disabilities are ill-treated and they do not even get a platform to seek justice if they are repressed or fall victim to any form of violence,” said Firoza Akhter Seema, coordinator, the National Council for Disabled Women, while presenting a keynote paper.

Physically challenged women are more marginalised, more repressed, more powerless and more unsafe than able-bodied women, she said. “The women victims do not receive justice as they are not even treated as complete human beings.”

“In most cases, the law enforcers do not register the complaint of a woman with disability; they are not considered to be eligible witnesses and they face social stigma every day of their lives,” she added.

Speaking as the special guest, Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam called on physically challenged women to come forward to ensure their rights.

She also called on the people to change the attitude towards women with disabilities.

Advocate Salma Ali, executive director of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association, said a law protecting the rights of women is being drafted, but it is not enough. The law should be strictly enforced.

Ujjala Banik, programme associate, ADD, also spoke at the programme.

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