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Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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19.66<br />

19.67<br />

19.68<br />

19.69<br />

Disabled women and VAWG<br />

Concerns of disabled women survivors seen to have rema<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong>visible <strong>in</strong> current VAWG<br />

strategies. In 2009-2010 16.29% of women seek<strong>in</strong>g advice from <strong>the</strong> NGO Rights of <strong>Women’s</strong> 117<br />

telephone helpl<strong>in</strong>e on sexual violence issues identified as disabled <strong>in</strong>dicat<strong>in</strong>g that it is key for any<br />

strategy on sexual violence to address <strong>the</strong> needs of disabled women. 118<br />

The f<strong>in</strong>ancial dependency of disabled women, particularly on <strong>the</strong>ir families, may result <strong>in</strong><br />

liv<strong>in</strong>g arrangements that subject <strong>the</strong>m to different forms of abuse, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g mental, physical<br />

and sexual violence. 119 Changes to benefits (See Article 13) for disabled people may <strong>in</strong>crease<br />

disabled women’s f<strong>in</strong>ancial dependence on <strong>the</strong>ir partner or family. This will <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>the</strong>se<br />

women’s vulnerability to abuse and may make it harder for women to leave violent relationships.<br />

(See Appendix: 36 for fur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong>formation)<br />

Recommendation:<br />

Increase <strong>the</strong> number of accessible VAWG services for disabled women <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

support<strong>in</strong>g adaptation of refuge provision<br />

Rape and sexual offend<strong>in</strong>g<br />

There are 404,000 women (and 72,000 men) who are victims of sexual offences <strong>in</strong> England and<br />

Wales every year (2.5% of women). 120 85,000 women are victims of rape <strong>in</strong> England and Wales<br />

every year, which is roughly 2,000 women a week. 121 Based on regional data from <strong>the</strong> British<br />

Crime Survey 2010/11, it was estimated that <strong>the</strong>re was a m<strong>in</strong>imum of 109,000 women and girls<br />

aged 16-59 who had been a victim of sexual assault <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> past year. 122 Around 21% of girls (and<br />

11% of boys) experience some form of CSA 123 and 38% of all rapes recorded <strong>in</strong> 2010/11 were of<br />

children under 16 years of age. 19.7% of women have experienced rape or sexual abuse s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong><br />

age of 16. 124<br />

Women are at significantly greater risk of sexual violence if <strong>the</strong>y are unemployed or <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> lowest<br />

<strong>in</strong>come bracket (under £10,000 per year); (See Article 13) have limit<strong>in</strong>g disabilities or illness,<br />

or are fulltime students. 125 Sexual violence is also l<strong>in</strong>ked with homelessness, (See Appendix:<br />

26) <strong>in</strong>terrupted education and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, (See Article 10) and revictimisation. Women from BME<br />

communities are more likely to experience rape with<strong>in</strong> marriage. 126<br />

117. Rights of Women http://www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/ Accessed: 22/04/13<br />

118. Rights of Women (2010) Measur<strong>in</strong>g up? <strong>UK</strong> compliance with <strong>in</strong>ternational commitments on violence aga<strong>in</strong>st women <strong>in</strong> England and Wales.<br />

ROW: London http://www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/pdfs/Measur<strong>in</strong>g_up_A_report_by_Rights_of_Women.pdf<br />

119. Thiria, R., Hague, G. and Mullender, A. (2011) ‘Los<strong>in</strong>g out on both counts: disabled women and domestic violence’, Disability and Society, Vol.<br />

26, No. 6, pp. 757 - 771. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/44302/<br />

120. M<strong>in</strong>istry of Justice, Home Office and Office for National Statistics (2013) An Overview of Sexual Offend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> England and Wales. Statistics<br />

bullet<strong>in</strong> http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/crim<strong>in</strong>al-justice-stats/sexual-offend<strong>in</strong>g/sexual-offend<strong>in</strong>g-overview-jan-2013.pdf<br />

121. M<strong>in</strong>istry of Justice, Home Office and Office for National Statistics (2013) An Overview of Sexual Offend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> England and Wales. Statistics<br />

bullet<strong>in</strong> http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/crim<strong>in</strong>al-justice-stats/sexual-offend<strong>in</strong>g/sexual-offend<strong>in</strong>g-overview-jan-2013.pdf<br />

122. Home Office, Violence Aga<strong>in</strong>st Women and Girls Ready Reckoner http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100104215220/http:/<br />

crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/domesticviolence/domesticviolence072.htm Accessed: 22/04/13<br />

123. Home Office (2007) Cross Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/<br />

homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/sexual-violence-action-plan.html<br />

124. Home Office (2010) Crime <strong>in</strong> England and Wales 2009 to 2010: f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs from <strong>the</strong> British crime survey and police recorded crime http://<br />

www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1210/<br />

125. M<strong>in</strong>istry of Justice, Home Office and Office for National Statistics (2013) An Overview of Sexual Offend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> England and Wales. Statistics<br />

bullet<strong>in</strong> http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/crim<strong>in</strong>al-justice-stats/sexual-offend<strong>in</strong>g/sexual-offend<strong>in</strong>g-overview-jan-2013.pdf<br />

126. Aga<strong>in</strong>st Violence and Abuse (2010) And Still Like Dust We Rise: London survivors of domestic and sexual violence. AVA: London http://<br />

www.avaproject.org.uk/our-resources/reports--publications/and-still-like-dust-we-rise-london-survivors-of-domestic--sexualviolence-%282010%29.aspx<br />

188 <strong>Women’s</strong> <strong>equality</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>UK</strong>: CEDAW shadow report 2013

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