The conference organised by the Austrian Council on Disability on 12th of September 2019 aimed at “making women with disabilities visible” in different contexts of their life and realities. Very positive to mention is the great interest shown by political decision-makers (First Lady, Federal Chancellor, two Federal Ministers) who opened the conference. Sabine Mandl from BIM took part in a panel discussion and presented the EU project: Violence against women with disabilities and their access to support structures.

Women with disabilities are still disproportionately exposed to violence, have less access to education, the labour market, receive less pension and are at higher risk of poverty. Women with disabilities are in fact subject to multiple discrimination on grounds of their gender and their impairments, which is also laid down in Art. 6 of the UN-CRPD. At the conference different points of views on violence, integration into the labour market, identity, sexuality, role models, etc. were discussed mainly from the perspectives of women with disabilities, either from an institutional angel or on the basis of their individual experiences. All participants at the panel discussions agreed that it is crucial to discuss and make the disadvantages, stigmatisation and exclusion of women with disabilities in all areas of society visible. They also acknowledged that these taboo topics should be broken and included in the public and scientific discourse. Evidence-based data on the life realities of women with disabilities and their active as well as substantial participation into society, academics and politics are of utmost importance. Austria ratified the UN-CRPD in 2008 and thus committed itself to taking all appropriate measures to ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women, for the purpose of guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment of the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the UN-CRPD (Art. 6/2).

Most of the conference participants agreed that there is still a huge demand for action. However, the conference was undoubtedly a first important and strong signal in this direction and hopefully many of them more will follow in the near future.