The country has been left shocked and saddened at the news. 33-year-old Sarah Everard was murdered by a Metropolitan police officer last week. The murder led to thousands of women sharing their experiences of sexual harassment, assault and violence at the hands of men on social media as we are reminded once again that women are still not safe on our streets however the disabled community have been left out of the conversation entirely.
Hundreds of conversations around the challenges women face in today’s society have been had yet no one is including us in their conversations of feminism and equality which have been prevalent in the last week.
As a disabled women who has experienced sexual harassment on multiple occasions, it shocks me that although disabled women are more than twice as likely to experience domestic abuse or sexual harassment than their able-bodied counterparts, there’s virtually no tailored support available for women who have a disability.
As of March 2018, the Office for National Statistics found that 5.7% of disabled women aged 16 – 59 years old had experienced some form of sexual assault compared to 3% of non-disabled women. Despite this, upon researching for this article there seems to be very little tailored support for disabled women seeking support for sexual assault, harassment and violence.
A BBC report from November 2018 found that as many as 1 in 10 refuges do not have the appropriate access and equipment to support disabled women meaning women like me are at a greater risk of being targeted, abused or murdered.
This week I shared my experience of sexual harassment on Twitter about when a partner persuaded me to take my shirt off whilst pushing up against me whilst I couldn’t move because I had no way of making it back to my wheelchair which was in a separate room trying to persuade me to let him put his hand down my trousers and repeating that he wouldn’t stop asking me until I said yes.
Fortunately nothing occurred from that point and I managed to make it home safely, but now many disabled women have bravely told me about their experiences of sexual harassment, with Rachel describing how she is regularly touched inappropriately on the street saying “as an ambulatory cane user I try not to go out at night if I know I’ll have to use my cane as I know I’ll be an easier target. I’ve had cases where I’ve fallen over before and men have “helped me up” whilst grabbing my boobs or bum. It makes me feel really vulnerable that I can’t even need help without being subjected to abuse”.
I also spoke to a woman who informed me that “As a blind woman, I’m routinely touched by men without my consent who disguise their actions as trying to help me. I was once being followed – I could feel the man behind me and turned around to ask him to stop following me. He didn’t. I went into a restaurant to ask for help but they just shrugged it off. I was frightened for my life”.
She then proceeded to say how Sarah Everard’s death had impacted her mental health, expressing: “Sarah’s tragic death really demonstrates that those who are in positions of power cannot be trusted. As disabled women, we rely on people in power to keep us safe. This is terrifying”.
So why aren’t people including disabled women in their equality discussions?
Perhaps it’s partly because disabled people are rarely seen as sexual beings, and therefore many probably just don’t imagine it would happen to us.
However, many disabled people rely on extra support with bathing and personal needs leaving them vulnerable to those in a position of care. As well as this, like Sarah Everard I’ve had to walk home in the dark, a terrifying ordeal particularly for a wheelchair user like myself who can not use self-defence.
Am I not entitled to be part of reclaiming the streets too?
We must include disabled women and people in our discussions against male violence. This silent pandemic has gone on long enough.
If you are serious about being a feminist and keeping women safe, you must also start talking about the inequality in which disabled women are disproportionately affected by sexual harassment and domestic violence.
You can not pick parts of feminism to be enraged by, and ignore other parts simply because it makes you feel uncomfortable.