DISCRIMINATION in our society continues unabated for many minority groups.
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While there are laws in place to safeguard against discrimination, some people suffer its indignities daily — race, sex and age being the most common.
Last week the executive director of Women with Disabilities Victoria, Keran Howe, visited Warrnambool to highlight the appalling discrimination suffered by the people she represents.
Women with physical or mental disabilities suffer a litany of truly horrible discrimination that makes their lives a misery.
They are the long-suffering victims of much higher rates of sexual abuse or violence, usually from family members or carers.
Many victims suffer abuse for so long that they begin to look upon it as normal with perpetrators cruelly reinforcing this concept by telling them they deserve it.
As a result many women with disabilities live dark, wretched lives and are helpless to break free.
If that was not bad enough, these unfortunate women also find it almost impossible to get their case through the justice system and are therefore denied equality before the law.
It is easy for society to sweep an issue like this under the carpet, after all we do so with pretty much every other minority group so why not women with a disability?
We urgently need to do better with all forms of discrimination.
The new national disability insurance scheme will go some way to helping as long as it is funded properly and wholly supported by government.
Increased awareness of the plight of the women would help as would a more sophisticated and co-ordinated approach from the justice system and welfare agencies.
To suffer from a disability is challenge enough, but to then be victimised for it as well must put many of these vulnerable women beyond the depths of despair.
A strong, resilient and civilized community is one that understands and helps the most vulnerable. It is something we should strive for and if we’re not doing that already then something is seriously wrong.