by Anna Przednowek, PhD Candidate, Social Work, VAW Hub RA
Bonnie Brayton, Executive Director of DAWN Canada
While scrolling through my Twitter feed this International Women’s Day, I excitedly devoured the many articles about women and girls in various national and international contexts. Since I am deeply interested in the issues facing women, and especially women with disabilities, I was thrilled to come across the article titled “Equality Means Acknowledging Marginalized Women, Too” on Huffington Post Canada. The article was written by our Violence Against Women (VAW) hub community partner Bonnie Brayton, National Executive Director at DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN). One of the most shocking revelations in Brayton’s article is that, “Women with disabilities experience violence at higher rates than non-disabled women — up to four times higher“, which should be of pressing concern to our leaders.
Brayton continues to say that although understanding, support and leadership for women with disabilities is still scarce, Saskatchewan has adopted a theme of Resilience: The Strength of Women Living with Disabilities, and will be recognizing women and girls who are role models in their communities. This recognition is something that Brayton feels many women with disabilities across Canada and the globe currently do not get.
To read Brayton’s powerful piece, visit the Huffington Post article.