Call for Papers - Journal for Disability and International Development - Women with Disabilities

Journal for Disability and International Development - Call for Contributions
Issue 01-2009
Deadline: 31.01.2009

Topic: Women with Disabilities: Identification and Participation in the Women's and Disability Movement

Since the early 1990s, women with disabilities have increasingly been calling for the recognition and inclusion of the gender dimension to disability, both in disability politics and in the women's movement.

The women's movement as such has been emphasising on the multiple dimensions that make up the diverse situations of women around the world. While it therefore could have been key to addressing the specific concerns of women with disabilities, it has fallen short of acknowledging disability as an added liability in the past. As such, disability has long been ignored by the
mainstream women's movement both in theory and practice.

At the same time, the disability movement has, in its beginnings, conveyed disability as a homogeneous aspect: In its efforts to bring disability to the public's attention, individual diversities in impairments and other dimensions to disability such as the gender dimension, were largely neglected which finally led to limited agendas, excluding women with disabilities over long periods.

Where do we stand now and how has the situation for women with disabilities changed?

Since recent years the international legal framework for women with disabilities has changed positively. Global and regional networks of disabled women have been formed and are now actively promoting their agenda in both the women's as well as the disability movement. Stakeholders of both movements are increasingly engaging in dialogue or are openly recognising and even including the perspective of women with disabilities.

This issue 01-2009 of the Journal of Disability and International Development intends to look at how these changes have been translated into practice and how these developments have impacted on the identification and participation of women with disabilities in both movements.

Suggestions for contributions:

We welcome contributions especially with a regional or country-specific perspective on:

- What are lessons learned/success stories in bringing/including women with disabilities onto the agenda of both movements?

- How does culture influence the promotion and perception of the rights of women with disabilities in these movements?

- What are barriers for women with disabilities in becoming active participants/actors in the disability and/or women's movement? Which developments have the disability and/or women's rights movement undergone with regards to women with disabilities?

- What are ways and means for ensuring the integration of the rights of disabled women and participation of disabled women in these movements?

- What is the impact of these developments on identity and self-perception of women with disabilities as individuals as well as in organisations?

- What are the developments with regard to women with disabilities in these movements in the academic field/research and teaching?

- What has been the influence of including a gender dimension in disability and development on the policy and programming work of international development organisations, especially those working in the field of disability in development of women in development?

Contact:

Dr. Christiane Noe: http://webmail.rochester.rr.com/do/mail/message/mailto?to=Noe.Christiane%40web.de

Susanne Wilm: Susanne_Wilm@yahoo.de

The Journal for Disability and International Development is published by the forum 'Disability and International Development,' and is available online at: http://webmail.rochester.rr.com/do/redirect?url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.zbdw.de.