The Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) in collaboration with the Malta Confederation of Women's Organisations (MCWO) is organising a conference entitled – Invisible Women: Tackling a Double Challenge: Being a woman and being disabled.
The Conference will be held at the Verdala Palace Buskett on the 12th of October, from 8.30am to 12.30pm. President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca will be opening the Conference.
The aim of this Conference is to promote the empowerment of women with disability to enable them participate in all sectors of society and enjoy their fundamental human rights. In spite of equality legislation in place, women today still face barriers to achieve their full participation in public and private lives, and women with disabilities face even more discrimination, hence "the Double Challenge".
The organisers said that women with disabilities are made even more invisible in society. "We don't often hear about the issues women with disabilities face every day such as domestic violence, the lack of information about sexual health care or birth control, and issues related to mental health which are different to those affecting men."
"Often women with disabilities are denied of their right to a have a sexual life or enjoy their own sexual orientation. The lack of visibility hinders women with disabilities to exercise their rights and to become self-sufficient through decent employment and through entrepreneurship. Decision-making positions are still very elusive for women with disabilities."
The organisers said that the objective of this conference is to give recognition to the issues that hundreds of women with disabilities in Malta experience and to increase their visibility so that their concerns are addressed and their voices are heard.
This conference will be mainly in Maltese.
To register please see here [1].
The Conference Programme is shown below:
8.30 Registration
9.00 Welcome by Lorraine Spiteri, Chairperson – MCWO and Oliver Scicluna, Commissioner – CRPD
9.10 Opening Speech by The President of Malta
9.30 First Panel
Moderator : Ms Renee Laiviera, Commissioner and Acting Executive Director – NCPE
Rapporteur : Ms Jessica Schembri
Theme – LGBTI
Dr. Claire Azzopardi Lane – Lecturer, Department of Disability Studies, Faculty of Social Wellbeing, University of Malta
Theme – Sexuality
Mr. Michael Debattista – Assistant Manager (Projects and Research), CRPD
Theme – Domestic Violence
Dr. Marceline Naudi – Senior Lecturer, Department of Gender Studies, University of Malta
10.15 Reactions from the floor
10.30 Coffee Break
11.00 Second Panel
Moderator : Dr Charlotte Camilleri – Malta Employers Association
Rapporteur : Ms Elizabeth Camilleri Fava
Theme – Work &Women
Ms. Olivia Farrugia – Head Of Division, Inclusive Employment Services, Jobsplus
Theme – Entrepreneurship
Ms. Doris Sammut Bonnici – President, Malta Association of Women in Business
Theme – Women in Decision: Making Positions
Ms. Solange Bonello – Feminist/Disability rights activist, Young Feminist Leaders
11.45 Reactions from the floor
12.00 Speech by Robert Cutajar – Opposition Spokesperson for Family Affairs, Children's Rights, Elderly and Persons with Disability
12.10 Closing speech by the Hon Justyne Caruana – Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing