- The Government Delegation hosted a round table this afternoon that allowed to analyze the double glass ceiling
- The speakers highlighted the legal advances in Spain but require social accompaniment
Barcelona, March 7, 2023.- The Government Delegation in Catalonia hosted this Tuesday the round table 'Women and disability: the double barrier in the labor market' in which the existing inequalities in the labor field for women with disabilities have been analyzed and reflected.
The delegate of the Government in Catalonia, Maria Eugènia Gay, has moderated a debate that counted on the presence of the subdelegate of the Government in Barcelona, Carlos Prieto, and with the participation of the director of the Eurofirms Foundation, María Jordà, the paralympic medallist in swimming Sonia Guirado and the expert consultant in disability policies Pilar Díaz. All of them have agreed on the importance of making this reality visible when addressing the fight for gender equality.
The delegate has started the event highlighting the commitment and responsibility of the Government regarding the employment inclusion policies of people with disabilities, which places Spain at the forefront of Europe, although she has stressed that “there is still much to do” and that it will continue to be deepened so that legal improvements are accompanied by social awareness, something with which the other speakers have agreed.
THE DOUBLE LABOR GAP
During the debate, the participants explained their experience in their different fields, such as the case of Guirado, winner of three medals at the Paralympic Games of Barcelona’92, who was the first woman with disabilities to obtain the title of swimming instructor at a national level, but for whom it was not easy to get a job to exercise her profession “until a person trusted” her.
Jordà recalled that “the labour gap between a woman with disabilities and a man stands at 31%” and regretted that during the pandemic, “as always, vulnerable sectors are the most affected”.
Díaz has stressed that, despite legal advances, there is still a lack of awareness of society because beyond discrimination, on many occasions they are subjected to the “paternalism of many people”, as happens when he teaches at the UB or even when he played his role as Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health and Consumption in 2018, where by going in a wheelchair there were those who gave him “a kiss on the forehead”.
In fact, Díaz has welcomed the fact that the issue of the double barrier of being a woman and having a disability is addressed: “Women with disabilities are also women. That on the occasion of 8M we can talk about disability is already a success,” he said and insisted that thanks to legal advances, sterilization of people with disabilities without their consent has not long been prevented.
Guirado has described how throughout his life he has been required to demonstrate more than others because of his status as a woman and because of having a disability: “I continually have to prove that my abilities are above my disabilities, that my physicist will not determine what I can or cannot achieve,” he said. “Many times, disability is more in the eyes than in the person who has it,” he warned.
Jordà agreed with the other speakers that Spain is one of the most advanced European countries at a legal level, but he insisted that “there is still a lot of work to be done in society”. “If all companies met 2% (of people employed with a disability), 42% more people with disabilities would be working,” he added.
DISABILITY AND LANGUAGE
The government delegate, has launched into the debate the reform of the Constitution in which work is being done to eliminate the term ‘diminished’ from its article 49, which in Gay’s opinion “violates the dignity of the people”. He argued that the reform seeks to “combat prejudice”, something shared by all the speakers.
“Language determines the perception of reality. By calling us handicapped, we are diminished and handicapped. We are people. With disability? Yes, but we are people,” said Guirado.
Díaz has specified that she does not like to talk about disabled people but about “people with a disability.” “I have a disability, but I have other qualities.”
Together with Jordà, the three speakers have expressed that there is an open debate on the use of language and, in this context, they have stressed that the use by some administrations of an inclusive language other than that contained in the law - such as the existence of departments of 'functional diversity' - "can generate legal problems". “After all, what the law stands for is our disability.”
The event was also attended by the Secretary General of the Government Delegation, Simón Pérez, the General of the Civil Guard, José Luis Tovar, the Superior Chief of Police, Luis Fernando Pascual, the Delegate of Defense, José Luis Barón Touriño, representation of the Consular Corps as well as entities and representatives of the Third Sector.
This colloquium is part of the different actions and activities around equality that the Delegation has programmed within its ‘Lilac Week’ to commemorate International Women’s Day.