“Being a woman with disability means facing double discrimination,” Chairperson of an NGO Organization of Persons with Disabilities, Dragan Josifovic said today in a debate in Gracanica dedicated to promoting artistic development of women with disabilities, KIM Radio reported.

There are 750 persons with disabilities registered in Gracanica municipality. Women make 40 percent of this number. They are more often exposed to violence, face difficulties in finding jobs, while employers do not show the need to hire such persons, despite being obliged by the law to do so.

“We are witnessing that persons with disabilities, particularly women are exposed to double discrimination. First because they are women and gender equality is not on the level as required by the law and then unfortunately there are stereotypes which are often used. It would take long time to raise awareness up to the level that people understand and treat women with disabilities as equal citizens of this society,” Josifovic added.

Director of Social Enterprise in Gracanica, Nebojsa Peric agreed that the rights of women are being violated.

He added women with disabilities need support the most and that is why this project was created and it is a continuation of what Social Enterprise is already doing, aiming to support women, in particular women with disabilities to start up their business.

NGO Organization of Persons with Disabilities organized this debate within a project “Promoting artistic development of women with disabilities,” with the goal to contribute to greater social inclusion of persons with disabilities through creativity and the arts.

The project is supported by USAID, KIM Radio reported.