Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF
Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF
Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF
- No tags were found...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Box 5.1 Disability and genderCountries <strong>of</strong>ten report higher rates <strong>of</strong> disability formales than females. The reasons for such disparitiesmay include higher rates <strong>of</strong> work-related injuriesand greater risk-taking behaviour among boys andmen. i On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, girls and women are <strong>of</strong>tenmore exposed to <strong>the</strong> risk <strong>of</strong> becoming disabled thanmales because <strong>of</strong> neglect and certain forms <strong>of</strong> abuseand harmful practices, including early marriage ii andfemale genital mutilation/cutting. iii This being <strong>the</strong> case,<strong>the</strong> higher rates <strong>of</strong> disability for boys and men mayalso reflect <strong>the</strong> lower visibility given to girls, and togirls <strong>with</strong> disabilities, in many countries. In <strong>the</strong> context<strong>of</strong> such double discrimination, girls and women mayhave limited access to essential services such ashealth care, education and vocational rehabilitation.In Nepal, for example, it was reported in 1995that <strong>the</strong> long-term survival rate for boys who hadpolio was twice that for girls, despite <strong>the</strong> fact thatmales and females have an equal chance <strong>of</strong> beingaffected by <strong>the</strong> disease. iv In Kathmandu, a seriousunderrepresentation <strong>of</strong> girls receiving treatment at<strong>the</strong> Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled<strong>Children</strong> was identified as a cause for concern. vBut gender implications go fur<strong>the</strong>r than this. Girls andwomen who do not have disabilities <strong>the</strong>mselves arealso disproportionately affected by disability because<strong>the</strong>y are <strong>of</strong>ten entrusted <strong>with</strong> <strong>the</strong> responsibility <strong>of</strong>caring for persons <strong>with</strong> disabilities in <strong>the</strong>ir familyand <strong>the</strong>reby unable to seek paid work and tocontribute to <strong>the</strong> well-being <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> family. Similarly,female siblings may be kept at home to look after<strong>the</strong> child <strong>with</strong> disabilities and be prevented fromgoing to school or seeking paid employment. Suchdiscrimination against females is found in income-richas well as income-poor countries.Efforts to address <strong>the</strong> gender dimensions <strong>of</strong> disabilitymust proceed in a balanced and equitable mannerthat reflects <strong>the</strong> situation <strong>of</strong> women and men, girlsas well as boys <strong>with</strong> disabilities <strong>with</strong>in integratedstrategies for all.Sources:iGroce, N., ’An Overview <strong>of</strong> Young People Living <strong>with</strong><strong>Disabilities</strong>: Their needs and <strong>the</strong>ir rights’, <strong>UNICEF</strong>Programme Division (Working Paper Series), New York, 1999.iiSee <strong>UNICEF</strong> Innocenti Research Centre, ’Early Marriage:Child spouses’, Innocenti Digest No. 7, Florence, 2001.iiiSee <strong>UNICEF</strong> Innocenti Research Centre, ’Changing aHarmful Social Convention: Female genital mutilation/cutting’, Innocenti Digest No. 12, Florence, 2005.ivCited in Groce, N., ’An Overview <strong>of</strong> Young People Living<strong>with</strong> <strong>Disabilities</strong>’, op. cit., p. 2.vBoyce, W., et al., ’Physically Disabled <strong>Children</strong> in Nepal:A follow-up study’, Asia Pacific Disability RehabilitationJournal, Vol. 10, No. 1 (2000), .The effect <strong>of</strong> multiple discriminations is typicallymore than merely additive. For example, a familybelonging to a minority group that experiencesdiscrimination is more likely to live in poverty andconsequently have limited access to proper medicalcare. The combination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se factors increases <strong>the</strong>likelihood that a child will both be born <strong>with</strong> someform <strong>of</strong> impairment and have lower priority in accessto already limited support and services.The consequences <strong>of</strong> disability can be particularlyserious for women and girls because <strong>the</strong>y risk beingdiscriminated against on grounds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir genderas well as <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir particular impairment. As a result<strong>the</strong>y may have even more limited access to essentialservices, including health care, education andvocational rehabilitation.Access to health, rehabilitation andwelfare servicesOf <strong>the</strong> 200 million children reported living <strong>with</strong>disabilities, few <strong>of</strong> those living in developingcountries have effective access to health andrehabilitation or support services. For example,<strong>the</strong>y may miss out on vaccinations, or treatment forsimple fever or diarrhoea, easily curable illnesseswhich can become life-threatening if left untreated.Mortality for children <strong>with</strong> disabilities under fivecan be as high as 80 per cent in some incomepoorcountries. 35 <strong>Children</strong> <strong>with</strong> severe disabilitiesmay not survive childhood because <strong>of</strong> a lack <strong>of</strong>basic primary health care facilities. In addition,rehabilitation services are <strong>of</strong>ten concentrated inurban areas and can be very expensive. 36 Even <strong>the</strong>simplest aids and appliances to reduce <strong>the</strong> impact<strong>of</strong> a child’s impairment may not be available. Evenwhere services are largely urban based, children <strong>with</strong>disability will <strong>of</strong>ten have to be left by <strong>the</strong>ir parentsfor weeks or months while <strong>the</strong>y receive care – <strong>with</strong>pr<strong>of</strong>ound psychological consequences.Under article 24 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> CRC, every child has <strong>the</strong> rightto enjoy <strong>the</strong> highest attainable standard <strong>of</strong> healthand to have access to facilities for rehabilitation and<strong>the</strong> treatment <strong>of</strong> illness. Once a child is identifiedas having an impairment, however, o<strong>the</strong>r normativeconditions may be overlooked, including basichealth care. In countries where access to basicmedical services is generally difficult, it is likely to besignificantly more difficult for children and adults <strong>with</strong>disabilities to obtain proper medical treatment.Many medical decisions made around <strong>the</strong> globehave come to convey that <strong>the</strong> life <strong>of</strong> a child <strong>with</strong> adisability is considered to be worth less than that <strong>of</strong>a child who has no disability. There are documented15 <strong>Promoting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Children</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>Disabilities</strong> Innocenti Digest No. 13