There are an estimated one billion people with disabilities in the world (almost 15% of the population) and women with disabilities account for one fifth of the female population. The needs and concerns of women and girls with disabilities are often neglected and overlooked, and they face marginalisation and heightened vulnerability to unique forms of violence owing to the intersecting discrimination on account of gender and disability. Yet, women and girls, especially in the South Asian context, continue to lack access to SRH information and health and legal services that are necessary to minimise risks of gender-based violence, and response mechanisms to gender based violence seldom address SRHR. They are infantilised, invisibilised and robbed of agency to make decisions about their own bodies, sexuality, and lives. In reality, persons with disabilities have a wide range of desires and sexuality and need access to SRH information and services just like their non-disabled peers.

ARROW currently works in partnership with the Women with Disabilities Development Foundation (WDDF) on the implementation of a project on the prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls with disabilities in Bangladesh.