Neglected and Forgotten: Women with Disabilities during the Covid Crisis in India

The government of India announced a nationwide lockdown to combat Covid-19 on March 24, 2020, giving over 1.3 billion citizens – including 26.8 million people with disabilities, 11.8 million of whom are women – just four hours to prepare. This 93-page report discusses the barriers women with disabilities faced during the lockdown, in accessing physical and digital spaces, information and communication, education, employment, as well as food, health and other essential services.The report was published on July 14, 2020, by Rising Flame, Mumbai, and the UK-based Sightsavers India, both of which focus on the rights of persons with disabilities. It presents the results of a study where 82 women with disabilities, 12 subject experts and nine disability groups were interviewed, across 19 states and union territories – Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.The publication contains 13 chapters: Executive Summary (chapter 1); Background (chapter 2); Methodology (chapter 3); Access (chapter 4); Food and Essentials (chapter 5); Social Protection (chapter 6); Health, Sanitation and Hygiene (chapter 7); Education (chapter 8); Employment and Livelihood (chapter 9); Domestic Violence (chapter 10); Emotional Wellbeing (chapter 11); Recommendations (chapter 12) and Specific Recommendations on Inclusion of Women with Disabilities in Disaster Management Guidelines and Processes (chapter 13).