Skip to main content
Submitted by Shikha Aleya on 3 July 2018

This paper is an update of the original 2010 working paper by TARSHI and includes additional voices, initiatives and findings, including significant changes in the territory of law and policy, along with some observations and interpretations from rights advocates and activists.

This is a useful resource for persons with disabilities, families, care providers, researchers, reporters, cross-sector collaborators, planners and policy makers, and others interested in rights issues, gender justice and equality.

When we began our exploration of this theme ten years ago, prior to the publication of the first working paper, we found a growing awareness and engagement with this challenging subject. Yet it was brave at the time, to venture towards identifying and highlighting the connections between sexuality and disability. Those who did so, those that we met and spoke to then, shared their experiences and stories of stigma, myths, mistaken assumptions, social and cultural stereotypes and lack of knowledge both around disability and around sexuality, that acted as significant barriers in the effort to build a public discourse on this subject.

While there are still many such barriers and resistance to connecting sexuality and disability in public and social spaces, over the years there have been significant, and many positive changes in the environment, some of which are reflected in new laws and legal provisions, changing political intent and influence, and milestones and new approaches opening up the conversation in both the disability sector and the terrain of gender and sexuality rights in India.

Our aim has been to gather this new information, connect with resource people, many of whom were involved with the earlier working paper, understand the approach and content of new efforts, voices and spaces, and assess the implications of some of these changes. Our conversations with individuals and organizations during the process of updating this working paper, give us a sense of expansion of rights based activism and advocacy involving cross-sector conversations and experience sharing on themes such as - gender based discrimination and violence, violence against women, child protection and child rights, comprehensive sexuality education, issues of mental health and psycho-social disability, sanitation, health and hygiene, issues of accessibility across physical and virtual spaces and equality and inclusion across spheres of life. We see the emergence of new concepts and perspectives that actively challenge those that prevailed earlier.

This work is always ‘in progress’ and at no point can we assume that the information, findings or conclusions presented in this paper are either complete, or the final word. It is difficult to draw a line for ourselves where we stop the process of updating, adding and changing knowledge bytes, because with each day that unfolds, we hear of a new direction, event or understanding that is imperative to include. This remains therefore a working paper, and while we hope it is a useful resource by itself for all those interested in or connected to these issues, we request you to revert to us with your feedback and experiences.

Download a copy of this working paper here.

http://www.tarshi.net/index.asp?pid=35
To order hard copies please write to tarshiweb@tarshi.net

About TARSHI:

We work on sexual and reproductive health and rights, without restricting it to a disease-prevention, violence against women or sexual minorities framework, but rather approaching issues of sexuality from a broader and an affirmative, rights-based perspective. We strongly believe in each individual's right to make their own choices in freedom and in dignity.  We work in the best interest of all, aim to be as inclusive as possible, remain non-judgemental, maintain boundaries and confidentiality, and treat each other with respect, be it in regard to those we work with, directly or indirectly or when it comes to reporting about people or incidents related to our work. We strive for high quality in our work, making sure that the information we give is both accurate and easily accessible - that is easy to understand, inclusive, audience-oriented, and readily available for those it is intended for.

Vision: We believe that all people have the right to sexual wellbeing and to a self-affirming and enjoyable sexuality.

Mission: TARSHI supports and enables people's control and agency over their sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing through information dissemination, knowledge and perspective building, within a human rights framework.

Category
Country