Promoting the Rights of Women with Disabilities: Between Local Transformation and Essentialism

(Translated title)

This conference will be held in French and is part of the Montréal Health Ethics Lecture Series 2025

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To attend this Zoom event, please register by following this link.

You can also attend this conference in person.

To see past conferences: YouTube channel of the Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit.

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About this conference
Women with disabilities have been mobilizing for over 40 years to assert their rights to access the social determinants of health—that is, the things they need to live full and meaningful lives. Indeed, they stand at the intersection of multiple systems of oppression, which results in specific and heightened exclusions when it comes to education, healthcare, sexual and reproductive health services, leisure, and democratic participation, among others.

This presentation explores how women with disabilities use human rights and United Nations mechanisms to advance their full inclusion in society. These claims are strategic choices rooted in a context marked by structural inequalities, exclusionary social norms, and inadequate public policies.

On the one hand, relying on a rights-based discourse can limit possibilities for deeper structural change that would support diverse pathways to flourishing for women with disabilities. Activists may adopt an ambivalent stance toward the language of vulnerability and dependence on the state. On the other hand, UN mechanisms offer opportunities to share testimonies, knowledge, skills, and resources among diverse groups of women with disabilities worldwide, which often translate into local practices.

This discussion thus reflects on the opportunities and limitations of rights-based approaches in advancing the well-being and full participation of women with disabilities.

Biography
Valérie Grand'Maison is the coordinator of the Réseau de recherche sur les savoirs citoyens et les approches cocréatives (RéSCits) and a doctoral student in sociology at the University of Guelph. With a background in public health, sociology, feminist studies, and disability, her research since 2015 has emphasized participatory and transformative approaches that fully engage marginalized communities in social justice initiatives. Valérie has gained valuable experience in both academic and community settings, honing her skills in inclusive and emancipatory research practices. In her doctoral thesis, she employs an intersectional approach to investigate the relationships between disability, gender-based violence, and mobilization strategies. Additionally, she leverages the lived experiences of diverse women with disabilities to examine how various social systems may either hinder or promote individual and collective well-being.

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2025 SERIES THEME

Ethnical issues related to women's health and well-being