On the 10th of March 2025, the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Ms. E. Hagrass, focused on women and girl with disabilities. Many urgent concerns were raised, such as the denial of legal capacities, the lack of autonomy and dignity for many disabled women, the underrepresentation of this group in education and work opportunities, the disproportionate caregiving burden placed on mothers of children with disabilities, the higher risk of abuse, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and forced sterilization faced by this group, the difficulty in accessing health care (particularly reproductive health services), and their exclusion from political and public life. The Permanent Mission of the Order of Malta delivered a statement in which First Secretary Yannick Galeazzi pointed out several issues. The dialogue concluded with the words of Ms. Hagrass, in which she reaffirmed the need for safety and accessibility, the importance of considering the voices of women with disabilities when constructing legal frameworks in the field of technology, the protection of older women with disabilities, and the affirmation that a human rights approach must include access to health care for this group.
Sovereign Military Hospitaller
Order of St John of Jerusalem of
Rhodes and of Malta
Order of St John of Jerusalem of
Rhodes and of Malta