Gender-based violence against women with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities in South Africa: Promoting access to justice

This submission has been prepared in response to the invitation by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to submit information for purposes of its Half-Day of General Discussion on women and girls with disabilities, to be held on 17 April 2013.1
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [CRPD] forms the normative basis of this submission. South Africa ratified the Convention in 2007 without any reservations; its initial country report currently awaits completion. An underlying aim throughout this document is therefore to consider factors and difficulties that may affect the fulfilment of South Africa’s obligations under the CRPD.2
We set out the general legal framework relating to gender-based violence against women with intellectual disabilities and psychosocial3 disabilities in South Africa and also report on the preliminary findings of a research and advocacy project4 jointly undertaken by three partners.

Publisher: University of Cape Town
Year of Publication: 2013
Download : 18018_gbv_against_women_with_disabilities_in_sa.pdf