HRC 58: Rising Flame Joint Statement: ID with the SR on the rights of persons with disabilities

58th session of the Human Rights Council

Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities

Monday 10 March 2025

Thank you, President. Akahata makes this statement on behalf of Rising Flame India and five other organisations.[1]

We commend and appreciate the efforts of the Special Rapporteur in highlighting the rights of women and girls with disabilities by aligning the Beijing+30 review with commitments made in UNCRPD and SDG. We also thank her for spotlighting the leadership of women with disabilities in the regional B+30 processes.

We call for additional emphasis on the leadership and meaningful participation of women and girls with disabilities, especially in decision-making spaces such as political, policy, and multilateral processes with a focus on intersectionality to ensure that women with disabilities belonging to marginalised communities can participate fully. Decriminalisation of identities and ensuring full legal capacity are essential for inclusive communities, participation and leadership. 

We call for strengthening the care discourse to ensure support for mothers with disabilities who face unique barriers, additional costs of their disabilities and the onus of providing care to their children with or without disabilities, alongside providing care for other members of their families.

While we commend the emphasis on SRHR and healthcare, we call for specific mention and inclusion of access to mental health support and services and access to abortion - two critical areas of health that need commitment from member States.

We strongly recommend factoring in new and emerging areas of technology and AI and ensure that the intersectional challenges and needs of women and girls with disabilities including bridging the digital divide are accounted for while factoring in accessibility and meaningful representation and participation in policy decisions.

Lastly, we call for an increase in finance for development and inclusion, particularly to protect rights, safety, and foster inclusion and leadership of women, girls, and gender-diverse persons with disabilities.

Thank you.