UNFPA photo campaign gives voice to people with disabilities
People with disabilities across the world get a voice in the ‘Wanted’ photo campaign of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Family Federation of Finland. Girls and women with disabilities are often at a particularly high risk of discrimination.
Finland supports UNFPA to ensure global access to sexual and reproductive health services of high quality. As of 10 October, the Wanted photo campaign will hit the streets of Helsinki, highlighting the sexual rights of people with disabilities and the challenges people with disabilities are facing in developing countries.
Development cooperation is working to eradicate discrimination against girls and women with disabilities at the global level. With help from UNFPA, girls and women with disabilities, too, can get sexual education and reproductive health services of high quality.
UNFPA Iraq builds safe and accessible youth centres
UNFPA is strengthening the inclusion and status of girls and women with disabilities in their communities.
“UNFPA is supporting three youth centres in the Ninawa Governorate in northern Iraq. The centres offer young people with disabilities with sexual and reproductive health services, including advice on menstrual health and family planning. With Finland’s support, more than 600 adolescents have used the youth centres’ services this year,” says UNFPA Representative to Iraq Rita Columbia.
In Tanzania, UNFPA is organising youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services especially for people with disabilities living in hard-to-reach areas.
Seminar on sexual rights of people with disabilities in November
Girls and women with disabilities are still at high risk of blatant human rights violations because of their disability. Forced sterilisation of girls and women with disabilities is a common practice in many countries. Girls and women with disabilities are coerced to use contraception against their will or they are denied access to contraception services and reproductive health services.
According to UNFPA, girls and young women with disabilities have the lowest level of education and very little knowledge of sexual and reproductive health. Globally, one in three women has been subjected to sexual violence. Women with disabilities are at a higher risk of gender-based violence and sexual violence.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, UNFPA and the Family Federation of Finland are organising a seminar on the sexual rights of people with disabilities in Helsinki on 17 November. UNFPA Representative in Iraq Rita Columbia is among the speakers at the seminar.
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