From where I stand: “We should regard women and girls with disabilities as a professional community and resource for human rights defenders”
Madonna Kharebava, 75, is the co-founder and executive director of the Association of Disabled Women and Mothers of Disabled Children “DEA”. Since 1998, she has been working on the protection of their rights. Madonna is one of the women who participated in the project “17 Faces of Action” from Georgia.
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“People with disabilities, especially women, need to know their rights and how to protect them - this was the main motivation for me to found ‘DEA’, the Association of Disabled Women and Mothers of Disabled Children, together with like-minded people in 1998.
Since then, I have been involved in a number of important initiatives to empower not only women and girls with disabilities but also the community as a whole. Among these initiatives were the opening of the Center for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Public Defender’s Office, which was later transformed into a department; the development of indicators for monitoring inclusive educational environments; and the publication of thematic works and manuals. Of particular importance to me is the fact that I was a member of the working group of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was the first such treaty to single out women and girls with disabilities in a separate article.
I think that in order to reduce inequality, it is important that the approach - nothing about us without us - be extended to all areas, that the differences of persons with disabilities or other vulnerable groups be reflected in each initiative and that they be able to equally participate in these initiatives, especially women and girls with disabilities.
We should regard women and girls with disabilities as a professional community and resource for human rights defenders; without their active participation in policymaking and monitoring, it will be impossible to reduce inequality.”
The initiative “17 Faces of Action” aims to promote women’s contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The idea belongs to the United Nations Office at Geneva and its representative, Director-General Tatiana Valovaya, as well as the Swiss Association of Women and Empowerment. In Georgia, the project was implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Country Team and with the technical support of UN Women. Madonna Kharebava’s work makes a significant contribution to the achievement of SDG 10, which involves reducing inequality.