SOIH – Croatian Union of Associations of Persons with Disabilities has been a part of One Billion Rising campaign from its beginning, rising and dancing.

This year, women and men from the Union’s different associations successfully organized OBR 2016 events in
over 40 cities addressing the issues of violence against women with disabilities, women who are three times more marginalized and violated in private and professional life due to their disabilities.

In 2011 as a part of V-Day movement, Centre for Women’s Studies and SOIH organized the very first performance of The Vagina Monologues with women with disabilities (directed by Dubravka Crnojevic Caric, who directed The Vagina Monologues earlier with women actors and activists) with the notion of “no ramp” needed between women.

It was for the first time (maybe even in the world) that women with disabilities performed at the stage and spoke about their sexuality, desires and violence in front of the audience in a ‘sold out’ theater of the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Zagreb. The performance was translated into sign language and the
space was adapted to be friendly to people with disabilities. Women who performed, including Marica Miric, SOIH’s project coordinator and OBR Board member, said they had the experience of their life.

This year, SOIH started their 2017 OBR campaign on the National Day against VAW and will continue to rise awareness on discrimination of women with disabilities, with focus on their working rights, including access to work, working conditions, exploitation, and different form of violence.

In this picture they are protesting in front of administrative building in the new part of the city, where there is not even proper access for people with disabilities.