A member of Komnas Perempuan, Retty Ratnawati, said that the theme of the 2023 World Down Syndrome Day is “With Us Not For Us.”
This underlines a rights-based approach to handling people with Down Syndrome and disabilities in general, she explained in relation to the 2023 World Down Syndrome Day when contacted here on Tuesday.
Women with Down Syndrome also have a right to education, jobs, involvement in decision-making, as well as cultural development, she underlined.
"This is because the rights of those with Down Syndrome are also human rights," she said.
People with intellectual disabilities, including Down Syndrome, are also vulnerable to sexual violence, Ratnawati informed.
In Komnas Perempuan's Annual Record of 2023, three cases of violence against women with intellectual disabilities have been recorded. However, the commission believes that the number is only the tip of the iceberg.
"There are many cases of violence against women with Down Syndrome that are not reported due to social, cultural, and economical factors," Ratnawati explained.
In fact, it is not uncommon for new violence to be uncovered after a case proceeds for a long time, she said.
For instance, in one case involving a 16-year-old girl with intellectual disabilities, the fact that she was raped 10 times was only discovered recently, she highlighted.
"This fact shows that there is a hurdle to know the first time (when) sexual violence occurs against women with psychosocial disabilities," she said.
World Down Syndrome Day, which is commemorated every March 21, is a global awareness day that has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2013.
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Translator: Anita Permata D, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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