International Women’s Day 2022: #BreakTheBias
Sunrise2Sunrise is proud to be celebrating International Women’s Day and we are committed to raising awareness against bias and helping forge a world where difference is celebrated. In light of IWD, we would like to shed light on the unique struggles faced by a specific group: women and girls with disabilities.
The Statistics
In Australia:
- There are over 2 million women and girls with disabilities (20% of all women and girls!).
- There are 100,000 girls with disability aged 10-14
- ⅓ of these women and girls have a severe or profound disability.
- 65% of these women and girls will have experienced at least one instance of violence.
- Women and girls with disability are much more likely to experience all forms of violence.
- Women tend to be under-represented on the NDIS board.
Which biases do we want to break?
Women with disabilities are great employees.
Many workplaces have historically been reluctant to hire women with disabilities as employees.
This is due to an intrinsic bias against the disabled population, but we believe and celebrate the achievements of disabled women in the workforce.
Women with disabilities are capable of amazing achievements.
Look at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics! Chinese paralympic champion Qiumeng Zhang landed four medals – two gold, two silver – in the women’s slalom events.
She has also gone viral for her unique hairstyles at every medal ceremony. She represents the astonishing levels women with disabilities can achieve in elite sport.
Our Australian paralympians are not to be ignored either! Skier Melissa Perrine achieved rank 6 in the visually impaired Giant slalom. It was also her fourth Winter Paralympics this year.
Assistive technologies are not a waste.
To support disabled women in living fulfilling and lives, we must support assistive technologies. Books aren’t converted into braille overnight.
Stairs can’t turn into ramps if we never ask for them. These things may seem insignificant, but they make a world of difference to the disabled community and bring about equity for everyone.
What can we do to #BreakTheBias?
Don’t forget about the women and girls with disability around you! Their fight for equal rights and support will go on long after International Women’s Day. For us, it all starts with being aware of our own unconscious biases.
It starts by being kind. Not making ill-informed jokes or ignorant comments. Not treating women and girls with a disability as inspiration. Listening to them when they express their concerns.
Slowly, we can #BreakTheBias and encourage more and more women and girls with disability to take part in the workforce, seek higher education, pursue their passions.
Sunrise2Sunrise’s Role
Sunrise2Sunrise aims to be a safe place for these women and girls. We aim to support them to claim NDIS support and create plans to better support them in their daily life.
Our mantra is ‘care when you need it, how you want it’ and we aim to provide this support to the best level for all participants.
Everyone deserves the highest quality of living they can access, and we are a government-specified NDIS provider that aims to support people with disability so they are living comfortably and happily.
Sunrise2Sunrise stands with all women. The road towards true equity and for all our differences to be celebrated instead of discriminated against may be a long one, but you will never be walking it alone.
