COCEMFE requests commitment against violence against women with disabilities.

-It is estimated that more than 40% of women with disabilities has suffered a violent episode throughout his life

– are at greater risk due to lack of self-esteem, the real difficulty defend themselves of who attacks them or fear of denouncing the person with which coexist and which depend on

Madrid, 2011-December on the occasion of international day for the Elimination of violence against women which was held on 25 November, the Spanish Confederation of people with physical disability and organic (COCEMFE) calls for a commitment by all Governments to eradicate this problem and in particular in the most vulnerable such as women with disabilities groups.

It is estimated that more than 40% of women with disabilities has suffered a violent episode throughout his life, but these are estimates of international agencies. It is essential to know the extent of the problem and with data reflecting how many women with disabilities suffer from gender violence currently. To this end, it is necessary that the National Observatory for gender violence incorporated the variable of disability in its statistics to know exactly how many are victims of gender-based violence and what type of disability presented ”, said Mario Garcia, President of COCEMFE.

Women with disabilities are at greater risk of being victims of violence due to the lack of information and self-esteem, the real difficulty defend themselves of who attacks them or fear of denouncing the person with which coexist and which depend upon.

In addition, on many occasions there are serious obstacles to make use of available resources such as shelters and emergency services.

For these reasons, COCEMFE is developing since the beginning of this year a programme of prevention of domestic violence against women with disabilities in five autonomous regions: Andalusia, Asturias, Catalonia, Castilla – La Mancha and Valencia.

For its execution it has professionals in each of these territories, responsible, on the one hand to develop self-help groups with women with disabilities, as well as training courses for political staff and technical measure of public administration and civil society in general, including own entities comprising the disability movement.

Fruit of this fieldwork, COCEMFE wants to highlight the need for concerted efforts to give visibility to the situation of women with disabilities, and especially in these times of economic crisis and a model of welfare state that is seriously at risk ”, says García.

It is more necessary than ever continue to develop actions aimed at bringing to light the domestic violence on women with disabilities, and for that reason COCEMFE hoped to be able to continue to develop in 2012 the project of prevention of violence with the collaboration of Social work la Caixa ”.

The Spanish Confederation of people with physical disability and organic (COCEMFE) is a non-governmental non-profit that was founded in 1980. It aims to unite, strengthen and form coordination efforts and activities of entities working in favour of persons with disabilities physical and organic to defend their rights and improve their quality of life. The entity brings together more than 1,360 organizations divided into regional confederations, State institutions and provincial federations which in turn, bring together the different associations premises.