Blog post by Elena Ratoi, member of EDF Women’s Committee and Programme Officer for Moldova at the Center for International Private Enterprise.
If women are under-represented in politics and public life, disabled women face even greater exclusion. Accessibility and physical barriers often intersect with stereotypes, stigma, and discrimination related to both gender and disability. Disabled women are often infantilized and not taken seriously when they engage in politics, and they are more likely to encounter hate speech.
Ahead of the EU elections, The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) organised for the first time a training on empowering disabled women in political participation and leadership.
The training, divided into 2 sessions, was moderated by ENIL policy officer Antonella Candiago and conducted by gender expert Elena Ratoi.
The first session ‘Political participation of disabled women: get involved!’ (Tue 21 May) focused on understanding the importance of political engagement, legal frameworks, and transforming barriers into opportunities.
Participants explored their personal strengths and motivations to run for office and shared their experiences in political engagement. Some of the disabled women and girls who took part in the training were candidates for the EU elections.
The second session ‘Running for elections: everything you wanted to know before getting involved in elections’ (Tue 28 May) covered campaign planning, communication strategies, fundraising, and navigating challenges specific to disabled women.
The diverse backgrounds and experiences of participants enriched the discussion and learning, creating an inclusive and safe space to highlight the importance of diverse voices in political participation.