Centar za samostalni život invalida Srbije

Recognising the Rights of Girls and Women with Disabilities

The European Disability Forum (EDF), the representative organization of the approximately 50 million persons with disabilities in the European Union is organizing, together with CERMI, the Spanish national council of persons with disabilities, a conference on Women and Girls with Disabilities, which will take place in Madrid, Spain on the 16 th to 18 th of November 2007.

The purpose of the conference is mainly to promote equality and improve the lives of girls and women with disabilities through analysing in depth the key issues affecting girls and women with disabilities in terms of their full participation as citizens.

Gordana Rajkov as a member of the Serbian centre for Independent Living and a member of the Parliament of Serbia will participate at this conference as a speaker. She will speak on the Saturday, 17 th of November, morning session on the topic “How to actively involve women with disabilities in policy formulation and implementation in order to improve their quality of life”. Her experience in this field would be very valuable for the success of this conference.

Vesna Bogdanovic from organisation CRID will also participate at the Conference as another participant from Serbia.

PROGRAMME FOR

“Recognising the Rights of Girls and Women with Disabilities – an Added Value for Tomorrow´s Society”

Friday, 16th November 2007

14:00- 15:00.- Registration of Delegates

15:00- 16:30.- Opening session

Ana Pelaez (Chair CERMI women’s commission)
Mario Garcia (President CERMI)
Alberto Duran (vice-president ONCE)(tbc)
Yannis Vardakastanis (President European Disability Forum)
Amparo Valcarce ( Secretary of State, Spain)

17:00- 19:00.- Plenary Session 1: Women and disability

Situation of girls and women with disabilities within the European Disability Forum (EDF) and its member organisations, Maria Nyman (EDF)
Facing multiple discrimination – being a woman with a disability , Lydia la Rivière-Zijdel (European Network of Women with Disabilities)
Human rights perspective on girls and women with disabilities Kicki Nordström (World Blind Union)
European perspective on girls and women with disabilities (speaker tbc)
1 st Action Plan for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Spain, Mª Dolores Linares (General Directorate, Co-ordination of Sectorial Policies on Disability)

Saturday, 17th November 2007

9:00- 11:00.- Parallel Workshops

Workshop 1: Proactive measures in disability organisations at all levels

Speaker: Ana Pelaez (Chairwoman, CERMI commission of women with disabilities)
Facilitator: Maria Nyman (EDF)
Secretary: Ann Vervaecke (EDF)

Workshop 2: Developing tools to include girls and women´s perspective in policy work

Speaker: Brigitte Triems (Vice-President, European Women’s Lobby)
Facilitator: Gunta Anca (Co-chair, EDF Women’s Committee)
Secretary: Beatriz Martinez (CERMI)

Workshop 3: How to actively involve girls and women with disabilities in policy formulation and implementation in order to improve their quality of life

Speaker: Gordana Rajkov (Member of Serbian Parliament)
Facilitator: Karina Chupina (President, IFHOHYP)
Secretary: Natalia Beraza (CERMI women’s committee)

Workshop 4: How can I, as an individual, work at local level to support and improve the situation of girls and women with disabilities

Speaker: Anneli Joneken (co-chair, EDF Women’s Committee)
Facilitator: Mary Nettle (EDF women’s committee)

11:30- 13:30.- Workshops (Continuation)

15:00- 16:30.- Plenary session 2: Presentation of workshop results

Introduced by workshop facilitators
Moderator: Carmen Riu (CERMI Women’s Commission)

(17:00- 19:00.- Work on the conclusions)

Sunday, 18 th November 2007

9:00- 10:30.- Plenary session 3: Presentation of conclusions and adoption of a Declaration on Women and Disability

Moderator: Marta Valencia (CERMI Women´s Commission)
Adoption of the declaration lead by Gunta Anca (Co-chair EDF Women’s Committee)

11:00- 12:00.- Closing Session

15.11.2007