"Disability must become an issue for the feminist movement"
By Luis Fernando Astorga Gatjens (lferag@racsa.co.cr)
Says Gabriela Valverde, a participant at the IX Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Conference (Noveno Encuentro Feminista Latinoamericano y de El Caribe)
The IX Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Conference was held in Puntarenas, Costa Rica from December 1 to 5 de, 2002.
This activity was held in beautiful Playa Tambor, with the attendance of women from all the countries of the Latin American and the Caribbean region. They covered a rich and diverse agenda, to study the relationships between feminism and globalization, discrimination against women and the political struggle needed to advance in the field of human rights for women.
But, as has been the case in previous events, the Conference did not examine disability within the feminist movement. Disability was not included among the topics of the Conference, nor the double discrimination that women with disabilities must confront everyday.
Yet, there are well founded reasons for a change. This is what Gabriela Valverde, one of the participants at the Conference and member of the Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Forum for Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities, thinks.
Ana Gabriela is a 20-year old student of Physical Therapy at the University of Costa Rica, and has accumulated a very rich experience in the struggle for disability rights.
She is always accompanied by her dog "Midnight" at all of her academic and leadership activities within the social movement of persons with disabilities.
She was invited to participate at this Feminist Conference just about the end of the sign up dead line, and was able to attend thanks to the World Fund for Women.
"I was disappointed because disability issues were not part of the Conference agenda and there were only a few women delegates with disabilities. Just a couple of women with disabilities from Nicaragua and myself, out of 820 participants." Valverde told us.
"There needs to be more representation of women wih disabilities at this type of gathering, and not just blind women, but women with other kinds of disabilities." added Gabriela.
"One positive aspect regarding my participation is that I was able to provide some information on disability issues. The feminist movement lacks knowledge about what it means to be a woman with disabilities. I also found that there is great interest on this particular topic."
Then she added: "I am sure that disability issues will be part of future events. We were able to open a door for a firm inclusion and commitment. This means that attitudes are changing."
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