Why are women with learning disabilities treated unfairly?

People trying to help may have false ideas about who women with learning disabilities are. This, in turn, affects how they are treated and supported, leading to a focus on meeting basic needs rather than support to lead fulfilling lives.

Examples of common false beliefs about women with learning disabilities who experience gender-based violence include:

• They don’t experience the same forms of gender-based violence as other women do
• They get support for gender-based violence from their carers
• They don’t have the same social or emotional needs as other women do
• They are unreliable witnesses
• They are not credible