“Nobody will believe me”: Women with disabilities’ experiences of violence and justice

Online

EBU is delighted to invite you to its upcoming ‘“Nobody will believe me: Women with disabilities’ experiences of violence and justice” webinar, organised in celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2026 from 13:00 to 15:00 CET. 

Gender-based violence against women with disabilities is endemic. The growing body of research shows the high risk, frequency, forms, and impact of violence on women with disabilities throughout their life and caused by multiple perpetrators. However, limited knowledge exists regarding access to justice for women with disabilities, with regards to reporting and prosecution of gender-based violence. 

Co-organised with Eliona Gjecaj from the Centre for Disability Studies of University of Iceland, this workshop will discuss findings from her research study and explore current good practices that enable blind and partially sighted women to live free from violence and access justice, as well as the emerging risks and challenges in this area.

Agenda

  1. Welcome and introduction (10 min)

  2. Expert input: Experiences of violence and lack of reporting (20 min)

  3. Interactive exchange: Experiences from daily life and professional practice. Participants will be placed in small breakout sessions. (15 min).

  4. Discussion and reflection (10 min)

  5.  Break (5 min)

  6.  Expert input: Barriers, good practices and recommendations for effective access to justice (25 min) 

  7. Interactive exchange:good practices and solutions; Developing recommendations together. Participants will be placed in small breakout sessions. (20 min) 

  8.  Final discussion: Priorities for action (10 min)

  9.  Closing and evaluation (5 min)

Please, find below some references of Eliona Gjecaj’s work:

“Nobody will believe me”: Lack of reporting violence by disabled women (2025): https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012251384622

'We Got Lucky with the Judge': Access to Justice for Disabled Women in Iceland (2023):https://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/12/2/21

“‘They Guarantee Understanding Both Ways’: Rights Protection Officers as Facilitators of Access to Justice for Disabled Women.” (2024) https://sjdr.se/articles/10.16993/sjdr.1051

Interested in joining us on 25 November 2026? Register by completing the following registration form by 20 November 2026 at the latest: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1A8tNVAczXpSRY35DMLUkNg3OxXGorv7ju9lp4XeD-3w

If you face any problems when registering, please send us an e-mail at nacho.lopez@euroblind.org. 

Looking forward to welcoming you online.