Ms Eliona Gjecaj:

There are multiple ways. There is a lot of international research, across Europe and across the globe. First and foremost, we need to collect the voices of disabled women. When I say voices, I do not mean only speech but people with different communication skills. We need to hear their stories and learn from them and their experiences because if I share something, then I am sure I will empower someone else across different corners of Ireland to share their experience or to identify with my experience. An immediate action would be to fund research to get across Ireland and collect those stories and experiences, not only in voices of disabled women but also with the experiences of police and current legal justice, although that is not to suggest that is the kind of justice that disabled women want.

We need to combine the voices of disabled women with the experiences of people who support reporting, investigation and prosecution of gender-based violence, whether that be in domestic or congregated settings, in support services or elsewhere.

Article 33 of the CRPD calls for states to collect statistics. We always go on assumed numbers of disabled people in Ireland and across the globe but we need proper statistics. We need recent statistics on disabled people, including disabled women and issues that concern our lives and our inclusion and participation, to inform practices, policies and laws. If the Government is willing to provide the funding, I would be willing to provide that information or to go ahead and do that research together with other women from Disabled Women Ireland, DWI, and other NGOs and DPOs across Ireland.