According to the second national survey, which sampled the disabled population in China in 2006, there were 83 million disabled people, 52 percent of whom were men, and 48 percent women. The survey also revealed that the vast majority of China's disabled population - 75 percent - live in rural areas, where, as in most developing countries, there are less services available and per capita household income levels are generally lower than in urban settings. The social inclusion of persons with disabilities remains challenging as their access to social services, including education and training remains low compared with the general population. Levels of poverty among the disabled remain high, and the gap in standards of living between the disabled and general population is widening. According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation's "Facts and Progress on Disability in China 2008", among the 30 million people living in poverty in China, 80 percent of them are disabled persons.

Although specific numbers are not available for China, global reviews published in The Lancet scientific journal note that persons with disabilities are at much higher risk of violence than their non-disabled peers. According to the World Health Organization, the July 2012 review on the prevalence and risk of violence against children with disabilities, found that overall children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to experience violence than non-disabled children. The review indicated that children with disabilities are 3.7 times more likely than non-disabled children to be victims of any sort of violence, 3.6 times more likely to be victims of physical violence, and 2.9 times more likely to be victims of sexual violence.

Inferences may be drawn from the concluding observations of the initial report of China adopted by the International Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at its eighth session. The committee expressed its deep concern about the repeated occurrence of domestic violence against women and girls with disabilities; incidents of women and girls with intellectual disabilities being subjected to sexual violence, as well as the heightened risk of violence against women and girls with disabilities becoming victims of domestic violence and abuse; and the practice of forced sterilization and forced abortion on women with disabilities without free and informed consent. Violence against persons with disabilities has a detrimental impact on the health and well-being of the victim and family members, is a risk to social and economic advancement, and comes with a high price tag to society. It should not be tolerated in any circumstance.

The United Nations System in China is privileged to support the ongoing process of drafting national level legislation on family violence which will address violence against women, children, the elderly and the disabled. We are also committed to working with national and provincial governments, civil society, and other partners in China to implement the legislation when completed and will spare no efforts to end all forms of violence against women, children, elderly and disabled persons.

The author is UNESCO director and representative to China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea.

(China Daily 12/03/2013 page8)