Handicap of Women's Rights

18.04.2006

When Angela Merkel became Germany's first female chancellor, many people expected new courses to be set in women's politics. Conclusion for the present after a four months' reign: women's politics is not her first priority. Therefore it gains even more importance, that organisations like the German registered association Weibernetz (women's net) stands up for the about four million handicapped women in Germany.

Handicapped women are at the bottom of the hierarchy of discriminations. UNO reports that disabled girls and women are twice as often affected by sexual violence than non-disabled women. Thus, a reform in Germany's sexual criminal law was overdue. In 2003, the Lower House of German Parliament adopted many of Weibernetz's demands. "Now, sexual offences against handicapped women are punished with the same degree of penalty as sexual offences against non-disabled people”, says Martina Puschke, a representative of the association.

While handicapped women are often victims of abuse, they are still considered asexual by society. This aggravates the acceptance of those women in a mother's role, according to Puschke, and reflects itself in non barrier-free maternity wards, kindergartens and schools.

And apparently, society does not consider handicapped women as labour forces. As for example in 1999, only 17 percent of all handicapped women in Germany were employed. If, nevertheless, a job has been found, discrimination follows on the wage accounting. 38 percent of Germany's handicapped women receive a monthly net income of less than 1,125 Euro as compared to 16.5 percent of the non-handicapped women.

It is hardly predictable after such a short time of ruling Germany, if a woman chancellor is advantageous for women. This is also Puschke's point of view: "Not before the legislative period ends will it be clear, if the positive sign of a female chancellor will have brought any advantages for women in Germany.”

REHACARE.de has taken up the topic of disabled women more intensely and created a new category "Women with Handicap" in the Panorama on the starting page.

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