Last Wednesday 13th March, 11 professionals from the fields of social care, equality, employment, education, voluntary work, psychology, ethics and human resources participated, in face-to-face and virtual mode, from the premises of the Provincial Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of Seville, in the discussion group on the right to maternity and sexuality of women with disabilities in the framework of the European Erasmus+ project called Mother Matters (MoMs).
This project is coordinated by the Istituto Dei Sordi Di Torino in Italy and in which COCEMFE Sevilla participates as a partner, together with 3 other entities from Tarragona (Spain), Bulgaria and Cyprus.
MoMs aims to promote awareness and understanding of motherhood among women with disabilities.
In the development of the discussion group, fruitful ideas have been expressed, among which the following stand out: The right to motherhood as an undeniable right for any woman with a disability, regardless of her context, but we must move towards beginning to show that rights offer an opportunity to exercise it.
Other relevant ideas produced during the day included the need to urgently advocate for the development of more effective and higher quality sexual and reproductive health education for all without distinction, including persons with disabilities and their families.
Finalmente, una de las conclusiones de este encuentro fue que la sociedad y/o comunidad tiene que ser un medio de apoyo, especialmente la familia. Para llegar a este objetivo, será mediante el fomento de políticas educativas y de servicios sociales porque el problema está en la desinformación y en la prevalencia de estereotipos y valores que ubican a la mujer con discapacidad en un rol inadecuado, identificándola como una persona “no sexual” o “infantil” en una amplia mayoría de casos.
It is important to mention that all these results and information gathered from the conference will be used for the development of the two main products of the MoMs project: a research book detailing the legal and cultural context and awareness movements around the right of women with disabilities to motherhood, and a self-assessment tool to help health and education professionals to measure, apply and improve their inclusion skills in daily practice.
On Wednesday 3 April 2024 we will be holding a panel discussion where women with disabilities can offer their valuable insights into the exercise of maternal and sexual rights and the barriers they face in health and family planning services.
It is part of our mission to raise awareness, break down barriers and promote best practices. Together, let’s create a future where motherhood is understood, celebrated and accessible to women with disabilities and their communities across Europe.
