The global march toward gender equality has reached a critical crossroads, one where the traditional boundaries of advocacy are being challenged by a fundamental truth: a movement that does not include everyone is not a movement for equality at all. As the international community marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a glaring reality remains at the forefront of the human rights agenda—the liberation of women and girls is inextricably tied to the dismantling of ableism. We often speak of the “glass ceiling” that limits women’s professional ascent, but for millions of women with disabilities, the barrier isn’t just a ceiling; it is a lack of ramps, a lack of accessible information, and a systemic failure to recognize their agency.
True equality is not a fragmented goal. We cannot claim to have achieved universal suffrage if a woman with mobility challenges cannot physically enter a polling station to cast her vote. We cannot celebrate the progress of the #MeToo movement if women with visual or hearing impairments are systemically excluded from the justice systems designed to protect them from gender-based violence. Furthermore, the fight against the rising tide of digital abuse is incomplete if it does not address the specific vulnerabilities of women and girls with disabilities, who often rely on technology not just for connection, but for their very autonomy and dignity. For too long, mainstream feminist efforts have operated in a silo, often overlooking the unique, compounding pressures faced by those navigating the world at the intersection of sexism and ableism.
This intersectionality is not merely a buzzword; it is a lens through which we must view the entire spectrum of human rights. Every woman and girl faces challenges, whether through the persistent gender pay gap, the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, or the threat of technology-facilitated violence. However, these challenges do not exist in a vacuum. For a woman with a disability, these hurdles are amplified and transformed by systemic biases. Racism, ageism, classism, and ableism do not just add to the weight of sexism; they fuse together to create distinct forms of marginalization. To fight for the collective rights of women, we must first understand the specific, systemic ways in which different individuals are sidelined. Advocacy that ignores these nuances risks leaving the most vulnerable behind, undermining the very essence of the “Leave No One Behind” promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.
One of the most profound areas where gender and disability intersect is within the global care economy. Current data reveals a staggering reality: women and girls perform approximately 16 billion hours of unpaid care work every single day. This labor—comprising cooking, cleaning, fetching water, and providing emotional and physical support for family members—is the invisible engine that keeps the global economy functioning. Yet, it remains chronically undervalued. Within this framework, the lack of robust, equitable care and support systems creates a double-edged crisis. It places an immense, often unsustainable burden on female caregivers, and simultaneously leaves people with disabilities vulnerable to human rights violations. Without institutional support, individuals with disabilities may face forced institutionalization, inadequate care, or medical treatments performed without their informed consent.
Moreover, the narrative often forgets that women with disabilities are not just recipients of care; they are often the providers of it. Many women with disabilities manage significant caregiving responsibilities within their own families while simultaneously navigating a world that limits their economic opportunities and attaches a heavy stigma to their identities. The call for a “care revolution” is therefore a call for a systemic overhaul. It envisions a world where care is recognized as a collective social responsibility rather than a private female burden. This involves the creation of community-based models that support parents of children with special needs and provide resources for women with disabilities who are themselves caring for others. By shifting the responsibility from the individual to a well-funded, disability-inclusive infrastructure, society can ensure that everyone has the right to live and age with dignity.
The digital frontier represents another vital battleground for inclusion. Assistive technology (AT) has the revolutionary power to transform the lives of women and girls with disabilities, offering unprecedented levels of independence, communication, and access to education. From screen readers to mobility aids, these tools are essential for participation in modern life. Yet, as digital landscapes expand, so do the risks. Technology-facilitated violence—including stalking, trolling, and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images—is intensifying at an alarming rate. Studies suggest that between 16 and 58 percent of women have been impacted by some form of digital abuse, and those with disabilities are often targeted with specific forms of harassment that exploit their perceived vulnerabilities.
The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has added a complex layer to this digital dilemma. While AI offers potential for innovation, it also risks hard-coding existing prejudices into the future. Most AI systems are trained on datasets that reflect the biases of their creators—datasets that frequently exclude or misrepresent people with disabilities. When an algorithm is used to screen job applicants or determine eligibility for healthcare, and that algorithm has no concept of diverse communication styles or non-normative physicalities, the result is systemic exclusion. Women with disabilities are often the first to be filtered out by “optimized” systems that prioritize a narrow definition of productivity. To counter this, there is an urgent need for universal design principles in AI development. This means including people with disabilities in the design process from day one, ensuring that algorithms are transparent, and creating robust protection measures to prevent AI from becoming a tool for further marginalization.
Ultimately, the fight for equality comes down to accountability and the pursuit of justice. In many legal systems, gender and disability are treated as separate issues, leading to significant gaps in protection. For a woman with a disability, the path to justice is often blocked by physical and psychological barriers. Accessing a courtroom or a police station is only the first step; once there, she may face a “credibility gap” where her testimony is dismissed due to intellectual or psychosocial disabilities. She may find that there are no sign-language interpreters available, or that she is forced to rely on a family member for communication—a family member who may, in fact, be the perpetrator of the abuse she is trying to report.
True accountability requires a reimagining of our legal and institutional frameworks. It means ensuring that law enforcement and judicial officers are trained to recognize and address the specific needs of women with disabilities. It also means internalizing these values within global organizations. The United Nations, for instance, has been working to strengthen its Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) to ensure that its own operations and advocacy are truly intersectional. This involves a commitment to transparency and a willingness to learn from the lived experiences of women who have spent their lives navigating these overlapping systems of oppression.
As we look toward the future, the message is clear: the empowerment of women cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires a radical commitment to inclusion that acknowledges the diversity of the female experience. When we build a world that is accessible to a woman with a disability, we build a world that is better for everyone. We create systems that are more flexible, more compassionate, and more just. The movements for disability rights and gender equality are not just parallel paths; they are the same journey toward a world where every woman and girl, regardless of her physical or mental ability, can live a life defined by her own choices, her own dreams, and her own inherent dignity. The time for separate agendas has passed; the era of inseparable rights has begun.
