DONATE

Sightsavers calls for more women on UN disability committee

March 2020
Four women standing together smiling, in front of a backdrop that says #EqualUN.

Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign is calling for better representation of women, as well as people with learning disabilities and people from developing countries, on the United Nations disability committee.

The committee, which monitors how countries are meeting the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), is currently made up of six women and 12 men. Elections for nine positions on the committee will be held in June 2020 at the 13th Conference of States Parties to the CRPD at UN headquarters in New York.

Tessa Murphy, Sightsavers’ campaign manager, says: “Sightsavers previously called for better representation of women with disabilities in 2018. At that time there was only one woman on the committee, who was due to step down, but following global support on the issue, six women were elected.

“While this was a great improvement, there’s still a way to go to achieve gender equality on the committee. In this year’s election, our Equal World campaign is calling for diversity of representation on the committee, so that it can adequately represent people with disabilities, including women, people with varying disabilities and people from developing countries.”

Nominations for the committee are open until April, and there are currently six women on the list of nominees.

A group of girls laughing

Join our Equal World campaign

We have been working to fight for the rights of people with disabilities across the world.

About the campaign

Read all our latest news stories

News from Sightsavers
A group of women wearing colourful headscarves smile and laugh during a puppet show in their community.
sightsavers_news

UK government strategy: Sightsavers calls for further action for women and girls with disabilities

The UK government’s new international women and girls strategy is a positive step. But because 18 per cent of women have a disability, it is essential that disability inclusion is prioritised.

March 2023
Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame speaking into a microphone.
sightsavers_news

Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame elected chair of UN disability committee

Gertrude, who is Sightsavers’ global advocacy manager for social inclusion, becomes the first African woman to lead the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

March 2023
A group of seven people, four of whom are wheelchair users.
sightsavers_news

Judith Heumann: “A giant of activism and campaigning”

Sightsavers is sad to learn of the death of disability rights activist Judith Heumann, who was often referred to as the ‘mother of the disability rights movement’.

March 2023

Learn about our work to save sight