Globally, people with disabilities are more likely to experience sexual violence in their lifetime. Between 40% and 68% of girls with disabilities experience sexual violence before the age of eighteen, including by family, intimate partners, caregivers, and institutional facilities. Some women and girls, including those who are deaf or deafblind or who have intellectual disabilities, may be at particular risk due to isolation, dependency, and oppression.
If survivors with disabilities are able to report sexual violence through the legal system, they often face obstacles to justice, including fear of not being believed, humiliation by law enforcement, blame by their communities, and lack of access overall.Equality Now created a survey to explore what additional support is needed for a multisectoral approach to tackle sexual violence and ensure all women and girls, including and especially from marginalized communities, are served by the system. The responses have been mapped to highlight the pervasiveness of sexual violence-related abuses and challenges to accessing the criminal justice system for survivors with disabilities around the world. An analysis of these responses will also be used to better inform model laws and guidelines to improve laws on sexual violence and access to justice for survivors globally.
Regional Survivor Experiences on Reporting Sexual Violence
Click a region or use the dropdown menu below to read about the experiences of survivors of sexual violence with disabilities from that area of the world.
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If you are someone who identifies as a person with disabilities who has experienced sexual violence or work on sexual violence within the criminal justice system and would like to share your story, please do so here.
Global Experiences on Navigating the Criminal Justice System
We asked “If you or someone you know has reported sexual violence, please describe how you were treated”?
Here is what we found:
When asked how straightforward it was to register a case with the police:
When asked how straightforward their court experience was:
When asked if there are enough facilities to easily access forensic examinations in their country?
We asked “what changes need to be made to police stations and courtrooms to ensure greater access for people with physical disabilities”?
Here is what we found:
We asked "What are some of the issues you have experienced or are personally aware of that hinder the registration/pursuit of a sexual violence case"?
Here is what we found:
Want your voice to be heard?
If you are a survivor with disabilities or have worked with survivors with disabilities, join our Changemakers Network or submit your responses to our survey.