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Disabled Women: our bodies, our rights

In 2017, Engender received funding from the Tampon Tax Fund for a project researching disabled women's experiences of parenting and reproductive health services in Scotland.

Working with disabled people's organisations in Scotland, and led by an advisory group, the project saw us speak with disabled women across Scotland to hear about their experiences of puberty, sex education, relationships, family planning, maternity services, parenting support and the menopause. Through consultation events, an anonymous survey, round-table discussions with practitioners, and focus groups led by the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory, we explored a huge range of issues relating to disabled women's reproductive rights.

Our Bodies Our Rights Report cover image

All of this research has now been written up in to a report which outlines the barriers to disabled women's reproductive rights.

It is divided into the key areas of:

Parental Rights

Training and Education

Reproductive, Sexual and Maternal Health

Violence Against Women

and contains recommendations for Scottish Government, service providers and institutions to help realise the rights of disabled women.

You can access and download the report below, and contact Engender if you would like hard copies sent out to you.

Read 'Our Bodies, Our Rights: Identifying and removing barriers to disabled women's reproductive rights in Scotland'

You can listen to an audio version here:

We have also produced an easy-read project report outlining the key issues and recommendations.

Read the Easy Read project report here

Finally, Dr Jo Ferrie and Dr Phillippa Wiseman from the University of Glasgow produced an analysis of the survey and focus groups which were run as part of the project. You can access this additional research report here.

Downloads

A supplementary gender edit of parties running in 2021 Engender has published a Gender Edit of the Manifestos published by each of the 5 parties elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016, each of which is running in at least every region.

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill This is a briefing produced by Engender for MSPs debating the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill on 1st April 2020.

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: criminal trials during the Covid-19 outbreak The Covid-19 pandemic represents a crisis for gender equality around the world and in Scotland.

Engender response to “Sex and Gender in Data: Collection and publication”; guidance from the Chief Statistician to Scottish Public Bodies We welcome the opportunity to respond to this consultation by the Office of the Chief Statistician.

Engender response to the Scottish Government consultation on a new National Public Health body: 'Public Health Scotland' Engender welcomes this Scottish Government consultation on proposals for Scotland’s new national public health body, Public Health Scotland.

Engender response to the Scottish Government consultation on Adult Disability Payment Engender welcomes this opportunity to comment on the Scottish Government’s draft regulations for the new Adult Disability Payment (ADP).

Engender response to the Scottish Government consultation on disability assistance in Scotland Engender has been engaged on work around gender and social security since the 2010 programme of Welfare reform and over that period we have sought to highlight the ways in women, who are twice as likely to rely on social security for their income, have been systemically and grotesquely disadvantaged by reforms.

Engender response to the Scottish Government consultation on future arrangements for early medical abortion at home Engender unequivocally supports women’s autonomy over their bodies and lives, and considers abortion access fundamental to women’s rights and gender equality.

Engender response to the Scottish Government consultation on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill We welcome this opportunity to respond to a consultation on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, because of links that have been made between reform of the application process for a Gender Recognition Certificate and women’s equality and rights.

Engender Response to the Scottish Government Consultation Protecting Children: Review of section 12 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 and section 42 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 Engender welcomes this opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on proposed changes to section 12 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 and to outline some of our current research relevant to the potential impacts.

Engender submission of evidence to Equality and Human Rights Committee inquiry on Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Equalities and Human Rights Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the UK, Engender has sought to draw attention to the highly gendered impacts of both the virus and steps to mitigate it.

Engender submission of evidence to the Justice Committee’s short timescale call for views on the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill – Freedom of Expression Amendments In this response to the short timescale call for views on the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill - Freedom of Expression.

Engender submission of evidence to the UK Parliament Women and Equalities Committee inquiry on Unequal impact: Coronavirus (Covid-19) and the impact on people with protected characteristics Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the UK, Engender has sought to draw attention to the highly gendered impacts of both the virus and steps to mitigate it.

Engender submission to the Office of the Chief Statistician on: Sex/gender: Gathering and using data to advance women’s equality and rights in Scotland In order to make public policy and legislation that works for women, and that can advance equality and realise women’s rights, it is imperative that public bodies, including Scottish Government, generate and use data that captures women’s experiences.

Gender & Economic Recovery The economic downturn precipitated by Covid-19 is different from that caused by previous shocks.

Gender edit of the Scottish Government Budget for 2021-2022 This gender edit of the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2021-2022 compiles the references to women and gender, as well as some specific areas of priority with particular implications for women and girls into one list, such as ‘Equalities’.

Incorporating CEDAW into Scots Law - joint briefing from Engender, Scottish Women's Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland, Zero Tolerance, and Close the Gap Scotland is currently developing a new and ambitious approach to human rights protection.

International Women's Day 2020 Parliamentary Briefing This International Women’s Day adopts the theme Each for Equal, offering those of us committed to gender equality around the world an opportunity to reflect on our individual contributions towards securing women’s equality, including challenging bias and stereotypes.

ON THE BASIS OF SEX: Protection against discrimination on the grounds of sex and gender reassignment under the Equality Act 2010 This paper was written by Professor Nicole Busby, Professor of Equality, Human Rights and Justice, University of Glasgow.

Women & Unpaid Work: the impact of Covid-19 on women's caring roles Women’s equality cannot be realised while women still have do so much more childcare, care for older and disabled people, and housework than men.

Women and COVID-19 The COVID-19 global pandemic represents an unprecedented situation and the responses and aftereffects will have long-term consequences for everybody in Scotland, notably for women and women’s equality.

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