Two Sisters of Frida were at New York city for the ~UN  Committee for Status of Women #CSW60 – here are some of the sessions we took part there.

At Sustainable Development Goals or Sidelining Disabled Girls? Making SDGs Stand for All Women and Girls This side event was sponsored by Women Enabled International, Sisters of Frida & Women with Disabilities India Network

SDG goal 1. poverty transcript

At A Dialogue: Survivors in a disabling environment: what does empowerment of disabled women mean globally?

Questions/comments

[Screaming:]

IS THERE A​NYBODY HERE WHO IS NOT DISABLED, ILL, PREGNANT, OR FOR ANOTHER REASON NEEDS TO SIT DOWN, AND WOULDN’T MIND TO GIVE UP THEIR SEAT? THANK YOU.

By the time the train gets to my station, there are normally no seats left. Often I need to sit down to save energy to get to work and, well, work. When I go to town to work, I go to university to teach. Teaching is a profession as well as a performance: you give it your 200% in a compressed amount of time, having half of your energy simply won’t cut it.

Apart from this swollen and somewhat bruised eye right now, people assess me as a healthy, young, white, heterosexual, middle classed and generally privileged woman. True. Except that I’m not healthy (well, nor young or straight). Apart from the moments I am so utterly exhausted it looks like my eyes will pop out, puke on someone’s lap, or faint if I stand any longer on my feet, —none which normally will happen as I try to wait till I get off the train to crash or return the contents of my intestines to the world—, people feel no inclination whatsoever to stand up for me. Hell, unless someone is pregnant, looks like their eyes pop out, they faint or puke on my lap, are old and deserved their seat-stickers, walk with a cane, look like they’ve been doing some hard physical work all day, I just want to sit and read my book with Arial 20. Just because I’ve the energy levels of a snail on weed, doesn’t mean I’m a saint!

I have an invisible disability. I am invisibly disabled.

I sometimes compare the status of “being invisibly disabled” with that of having a femme identity. I identify as a femme dyke, even though I left my stiletto heels at home, because, arthritis. In your eyes, though, I’m probably the average straight chick on the panel. The queer politics, lesbian coming out hurdles and the drama of my ever-search for The Right Butch in my attempts to adhere to 2016’s dyke normativity of gay marriage aside, ultimately being a femme dyke provides me fun –whether visible to you or not. Dresses and snogging hot women and so forth.

Truth is, not so much with my health shit. Sure, having a bit of vertigo now and then gives The Butch a reason to hold me tight and protect me from an unbalanced world. I’m emancipated like that and know when to take advantage of my disabilities. But, really – not really.

According to the social model of disability, my participation in society would be equal with the priority seats and the “Look at my face, you can’t see it but I’m disabled”-pass. I don’t have a pass that proves that I’m disabled. If you can’t see it in my face, how do you know I’m disabled? If you don’t know that I’m disabled – am I disabled?

Every time that I enter the carriage, do not find an empty seat, then scream out loud in the hope that someone, always a man, stands up for me feeling gentlemanly, saving the ill and maybe even contributing to Justice, I go through an identity crisis. Yes, afraid that no one will stand up and I’ve to use spoons I don’t have in reserve, but also ashamed and guilty because, having grown up in a society where you simply man up your illness, endure your shit, because “normal is crazy enough”, somewhere in me I don’t believe I am sufficiently ill. That I am allowed to identify as disabled. That I am allowed to force others to take responsibility for their abled privilege. Coming out as disabled, I make a difference visible; where you stand up so I can sit down.

Rationally, I think that after 13ys of a variation of chronic health shit I’ve earned my stripes. But if I’m disabled, but you can’t see it, how do you know you’re abled …when you look just like me? And when you look just like me, how can I be disabled?

Because you have a bit of a headache. And your feet hurt after a day work. And you can’t remember everything. And you’re tired a bit. And without glasses you can’t see shit. And when you drink too much coffee your stomach is upset. And when you’re in a pub, your friend needs to scream for you to hear it. So, you know what it is like.

And if you know what it is like, then you know my experience. And if you know my experience, you can judge me. So if you’re not disabled, and didn’t you know what it was like?, then I’m not disabled.

Despite the promises of the social model, it is my busy relation with the NHS, the cocktail of drugs I take, the compilation of chronic illnesses, symptoms and side effects I live with, and the continuous rollercoastery adjustments to reality, desires and hopes, that contribute to what I so eloquently have categorised as Health Shit. Coming out as disabled doesn’t change much about the invisibility of my disabilities and experiences. You standing up to offer me your seat doesn’t end my identity crisis, eliminate assessing looks, or possibly solve the normativity of abledness, but, hell, it does give me a break.

Presentation by Dieuwertje Dyi Huijg for the panel “Coming out as disabled: Body Image, labels and denial of disability”, Women of the World Festival 12/3/ 2016.

Venue CCUN Chapel 12.30-2pm (ground floor) Enter by the far door not the side with elevators. The shape of the room (chapel) might prove a challenge for a formal set up.

This panel will be discussing what would empowerment of disabled women mean locally, nationally and globally. We will try to include voices of disabled women (short video clips) from different parts of the world stating what it means to them if its possible with the venue. We will post the clips online for later viewing if not. We will use the Social Model of Disability; that is to say it is systemic barriers, negative attitudes and exclusion by society (purposely or inadvertently), that disable us. We will also look at the different nuances of violence against disabled women, the different forms of abuse and how disabled women in particular are affected. How they survive inspite of having to face numerous challenges/barriers wherever they are in the world.
Speakers
Alexia Manombe-Ncube (Naimbia)
Alexia is the Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs in the office of Vice President, Namibia. Recently appointed by President Hage Geingob to handle the affairs of physically challenged people, Manombe-Ncube has appealed to stakeholders to highlight the plight of the country’s disabled people in order for her to realise her ministerial declaration of intent. She also urged stakeholders to apply all their energy towards the empowerment and development of the disabled and specifically to close the gender equality gap.
She champions those in the rural areas saying disabled are have less resources and left to crawl because they do not have wheelchairs like people in the cities. Alexia will be speaking on the status of disabled in Naimbia and her own empowerment as a minister.
Lucia Bellini (UK)
Lucia currently works as an advocate for disabled people who are victims of domestic violence. She is also a Disability Rights Advocate where she assists people to access care packages, to be re-housed, to apply for benefits and to appeal against decisions they are not happy with. She has a masters in Global Citizenship, Identity and Human Rights from the University of Nottingham. In 2008 to 2010, she worked with disabled people’s organisations in Guyana where she provided disability equality and project management training to many disabled people throughout the country. She is particularly passionate about ensuring disabled women feel empowered and equipped to make their own choices. Lucia will be speaking about disabled women caught up in domestic violence in the UK.
Michelle Baharier (UK)
Michelle (UK) is a visual artist and disabled activist with lived experience of mental-distress for over three decades. She set up and ran a disabled lead arts organisation changing the way disabled people were perceived in the main stream.
She has worked with women’s organisations and on a telephone help line for women affected by violence, and with women from a variety of cultures including the Poppy Project which supports women who have been trafficked to the UK, the Diane project for Iranian women who need a safe place to be due to violence. Michelle will speak about her work with mental health survivors and their struggle for empowerment.
Suzannah Phillips (USA)
Suzannah is the Legal Advisor for Women Enabled International. Her work focuses on legal advocacy with the United Nations and other international and regional forums to strengthen human rights standards on the rights of women and girls with disabilities. Prior to joining WEI, Suzannah was the International Women’s Human Rights Clinical Fellow at CUNY School of Law, Legal Adviser for International Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), and a Human Rights Fellow with VIVO POSITIVO in Santiago, Chile. She is currently a member of the International Human Rights Committee at the New York City Bar Association. Suzannah received her J.D. from Columbia Law School and her B.A. in Social Anthropology from Harvard University. Suzannah will be speaking on how different legal instruments can be used to support empowerment of disabled women especially with Women Enabled International’s work.
Eleanor Lisney (UK)
Eleanor is born Malaysian Chinese of immigrant parents who moved to UK herself for graduate study. She is a founding member of Sisters of Frida will facilitate the meeting.
We will have time to discuss some action points that could lead us to unite across the world in solidarity and in sisterhood.
https://www.sisofrida.org/ email hello@sisofrida.org @sisofrida

Please come to support us 
Commission on the Status of Women – CSW60 Side Event
Title: Sustainable Development Goals or Sidelining Disabled Girls? Making SDGs Stand for All Women and Girls
Date and Time: Thursday, March 17 2:30 PM
Location: Church Center of the United Nations – Boss Room, 770 United Nations Plaza New York, NY

The SDGs offer a valuable platform to advance dialogues with States around key areas that impact the lives of women & girls. Yet, despite accounting for almost one-fifth of all women worldwide, women and girls with disabilities receive scant attention. As the global community undertakes the crucial task of identifying indicators to monitor progress toward the realization of the SDGs & hold States accountable for these commitments, it is essential that this process includes the voices of women with disabilities& reflects their experiences of intersecting forms of discrimination. This panel addresses four SDGs that bear on the rights of women with disabilities: Goal 1 (Poverty), Goal 3 (Health), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), & Goal 16 (Peace & Justice). Panelists will discuss barriers that women with disabilities face in realizing their rights as they relate to these goals & will address how SDG indicators can better reflect the realities of women with disabilities moving forward.
Speakers:
Asha Hans (India) – Goal 16 (Peace & Justice) – impact of conflict on women and girls with disabilities, especially those who are refugees
Eleanor Lisney (UK) – Goal 1 (Poverty) – impact on women with disabilities of government program cuts
Andrea Parra (Colombia) – Goal 3 (Health) – sexual and reproductive health and rights, including forced sterilization and access to health care for women and girls with disabilities
Adaobi Egboka (Nigeria) – Goal 5 (Gender Equality) – Gender-based and sexual violence and access to justice for women and girls with disabilities
Stephanie Ortoleva (USA) – Welcome and Conclusion
Suzannah Phillips (USA) – Moderator ​
Sponsors:
Women Enabled International, Sisters of Frida & Women with Disabilities India Network

 

For more information: Email Info@WomenEnabled.org or hello@sisofrida.org

This year is amazing! so many of us will be at the WoW festival this weekend! do go along and support -if you can get a ticket!

Coming out as disabled: Body Image, labels and denial of disability

One in five of us is disabled – so why do we try to hide it from our friends? How do we ‘come out’ as disabled women?

Zara Todd

Venue Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall

Time 11:15am – 12:15pm

Date Saturday 12 March 2016

One in five of us is disabled – so why do we try to hide it from our friends? How do we ‘come out’ as disabled women? Four women tell their stories. Speakers include Deborah Williams, Diversity Manager BFI; Dieuwertje Dyi Huijg, Visiting Lecturer, Sociology at University of Westminster and Rebecca Bunce, human rights researcher and campaigner.

Chaired by Zara Todd, disability rights campaigner and activist.

In partnership with Sisters of Frida.

Others

Sexism Makes Us Sick Examining Woman’s health

Annabel Crowley

Venue St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall

Time3:45pm – 4:45pm

Date Saturday 12 March 2016

Examining women’s health Heart disease kills more women than men each year, fewer women than men survive a heart attack, so why do we hear so little about it? In mental health, women are more than twice likely than men to have depression and less likely to be taken seriously. How does gender affect physical and mental health care and what can we do to change the status quo? Speakers include Bridget Hargreaves, author of post natal depression memoir Fine Not Fine; Dr Victoria Showunmi, lecturer on migraines at the UCL Institute of Education.

Chaired by Annabel Crowley.

Toilets are a Feminist Issue

Sarah Rennie

Venue St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 

Time2:15pm – 3:15pm

Date Saturday 12 March 2016

Come and find out why you should give a shit about toilets. From women always having to queue, to the lack of toilet facilities in the developing world having a devastating effect on women’s safety, what can toilet provision tell us about gender equality? Come and join the grand doyenne of public toilets Prof. Clara Greed; award winning writer and feminist Beatrix Campbell; Changing Places campaigner and disabled feminist Sarah Rennie and periods activist and founder of #periodpostive Chella Quint to discuss. Beware – there may be toilet humour.

Chaired by New Statesman Deputy Editor, Helen Lewis.

Type of event

Talks and debates

Running Time

60 mins

Chores Wars and Domestic Lives

Pauline Latchem (photo from Eleanor Lisney)

 

Venue The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 

Time1:15pm – 2:15pm

Date Sunday 13 March 2016

Black Feminisms/Black Women Pop Culture

Becky Olaniyi

Venue Level 3 Foyer (Green Side) at Royal Festival Hall 

Time4:00pm – 5:00pm

Date Sunday 13 March 2016

What does the portrayal of black women in popular culture tell us about race, sex and power? Join journalist and campaigner Reni Eddo Lodge, visual sociologist Emma Dabiri, activist Becky Olaniyi and playwrite Adura Onashile as they discuss the joys and challenges of being a black feminist.

Chaired by Senior Programmer, Contemporary Culture and journalist Hannah Azieb Pool

We were asked if Sisters of Frida works with young people and yes, we do. Becky Olaniyi was very much in the picture as part of the Steering Group until she rolled into university and have too much on with university work and getting used to campus life.

And we recently had a thank you note to Zara Todd for Rebecca’s and their  workshop ‘Gender and Disability Discrimination’  at the Youth Action Festival

 

“... but I wanted to say a huge thank you for everything you did for the Youth Action Festival in December. I wanted to thank you and your colleague for giving up your Saturday and providing such a meaningful contribution to the day. We really could not have made the event the success it was without you.

 

Overall the event was a huge success. Please do have a look at the quotes from evaluation forms on the attached letter that give a flavour of what an incredible impact the day had on participants.

 

We also used the solutions that young people put forward during the day and the learning from the day to shape the policy and ideas for our Learn Without Fear UK campaign this year. You can see our campaign and policy content on our web pages and in articles in the press Daily Telegraph Wonder Women section, Metro.co.uk, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping and the Daily Express.

Thank you Zara and Rebecca!

Rebecca

Zara

Photo Credit: Plan International//Jessica McDermott