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Article 6 Women with Disabilities

341. One of the principles the Strategy for Improving the Position of Persons with Disabilities has been based on is the principle of equality of men and women. It implies incorporation of gender equality into policies – it is of particular importance in case of the most vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities. The Strategy for Improving the Position of Persons with Disabilities defines gender equality, specifying it means that a man and a woman have equal conditions for the exercise of full human rights and opportunities to contribute to national, political, economic, social and cultural progress, as well as to enjoy equally the benefits of progress. In addition, gender equality also includes an obligation of the Government to lead the policy of equal opportunities, to define in more details the contents of the principle of equality in certain fields of social life, especially in the sphere of economics and politics, to establish options for undertaking of measures of affirmative action in order to eliminate factual inequality, to protect the right to equality.

342. The Strategy for Improving the Position of Persons with Disabilities has set up a special goal related to development and provision of equal opportunities for women with disabilities for equal and active participation in the life of the community, and within the framework of this goal, the following measures have been prescribed:

  • full development and provision of access to necessary and adequate services for women with disabilities with the aim to improve quality of living;
  • awareness-raising of the society and persons with disabilities about relations between sexes, gender and disability;
  • provision of information on the position of women with disabilities in relation to their social roles and particular vulnerability in relation to family violence;
  • provision of information on human rights of women with disabilities (reproductive right);
  • undertaking of measures to prevent violence, abuse and exploitation of women with disabilities;
  • development and preparation, in co-operation with the relevant institutions and organizations of persons with disabilities the programmes of psycho-social and legal aid to women with disabilities who experienced violence, abuse and ill-treatment;
  • support rendering to organizations and institutions addressing violence against persons with disabilities;
  • undertaking of measures and activities with the aim to increase the level of knowledge and skills of women with disabilities for equal and active participation in the life of the community.

343. The Strategy for Prevention of Violence against Women especially singles out women with disabilities.

344. The Action Plan for the Implementation of the National Strategy for Improving the Position of Women and Promotion of Gender Equality, as a part of activities of general objective of Increase of Participation of Women in Decision-Making Process and Achievement of Gender Equality, prescribes, inter alia, the creation of pre-conditions for participation of women from groups exposed to double or multiple discrimination in the public and political life. Within the framework of this goal implementation, a promotional campaign has been planned under the title of Capacities of Women with Disabilities, the purpose of which is to raise general awareness of capacities of women with disabilities and to implement pilot projects and seminars intended to this group of female citizens in order to increase their participation in the public and political life.

345. The project Improvement of Health of Women and Promotion of Gender Equality in Health Policy prescribes a special goal – provision of availability of quality health care for women, in particular for women from groups exposed to multiple-based discrimination.

346. The National Employment Action Plan for 2011 63 (NEAP) classifies women to be in so-called vulnerable categories, which shall have priority together with the category of persons not easy to get employment, and in particular from rural and devastated regions, on the occasion of inclusion in the measures of active employment policy through the National Employment Agency.

Note #63
Official Gazette of RS, Nos. 55/10 and 4/11
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347. The Law on Employment and Insurance in Case of Unemployment 64 and the Law on Professional Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities are based on the principles of non-discrimination and gender equality and introduce novelties in the field of employment.

Note #64
Official Gazette of RS, No. 36/09
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348. The records concerning unemployment kept by the National Employment Agency indicated 7,156 women with disabilities on 31 December 2009, or 32.49% of the total number of persons with disabilities. Out of this number, 5,929 women have been actively looking for a job.

349. The records concerning unemployment kept by the National Employment Agency, indicated 6,672 women with disabilities on 31 December 2010, or 32.70% of the total number of persons with disabilities.

350. The records concerning unemployment kept by the National Employment Agency indicated 6,886 women with disabilities on 30 June 2011, or 33.16% of the total number of persons with disabilities.

351. Inclusion of women with disabilities in the measures of active employment policy in 2009:

  • at employment fairs 1,298 persons with disabilities participated, of which 24.94% were women;
  • the training at the job looking for club included 79 persons with disabilities, of which 31.64% were women;
  • the active job looking for training was completed by 349 persons with disabilities, of which 34.50% were women;

352. Inclusion of women with disabilities in the measures of active employment policy in 2010:

  • at employment fairs 1,773 persons with disabilities participated, of which 29.89% were women;
  • the training at the job looking for club included 54 persons with disabilities, of which 50% were women;
  • the active job looking for training was completed by 310 persons with disabilities, of which 33.87% were women.

353. In the course of 2010, 3,681 unemployed persons with disabilities registered with the National Employment Agency, of which 1,172 were women with disabilities.

354. Affirmative actions directed towards persons who cannot get employment easily and women exposed to multiple-based discrimination on the local labour market have also been included within the framework of the programmes and measures intended for women in the National Employment Action Plan for 2010.

Practice

355. According to the report Women with Disabilities in Serbia 65 by the ...Iz Kruga association, an organization for the protection of rights of women and support to women with disabilities of Serbia and the Monitoring and Evaluation Centre from December 2009, in spite of the activities of the Republic of Serbia in the field of improvement of the rights of women, the position of women with disabilities has not been recognized in an adequate way. An analysis of Women with Disabilities in Serbia illustrates invisibility of women with disabilities and lack of legal response to specific forms of violence and discrimination they are exposed to because of their different position. Women with disabilities remain three steps behind in respect of the rights enjoyed by other male and female citizens. Their multiple-based discrimination is not addressed by laws and there is no social action, but only declarations directed to resolution of this issue.

Note #65
Official Gazette of RS, No. 36/09
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