A/HRC/20/5 girls with disabilities face enormous difficulties in their access to justice, compounded by social attitudes towards both gender-based violence and disability. B. Prevention and protection programmes and initiatives 34. In analysing responses to the questionnaire, attention was paid to assessing the existence and nature of specific policies or programmes addressing violence against women and girls with disabilities, as well as to the extent of inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in programmes and policies that address different forms of gender-based violence. 35. Very few examples of plans, programmes and policies addressing the underlying causes of violence against women and girls with disabilities were found. Most responding States stressed that one of the underlying causes of violence, including neglect, against women and girls with disabilities, were discriminatory practices and stereotypical perceptions. Nonetheless, the efforts made by States to raise awareness of the underlying causes targeted persons with disabilities in general and failed to factor in the gender dimension of disability.45 Several countries reported on important steps to promote the realization of the rights of women and girls with disabilities, including in the field of labour, health and education. The efforts to address de facto discrimination against women with disabilities in all spheres of life appear, however, to be limited, while linking disability to the concept of gender violence in a meaningful way into Government programmes continues to be a challenge. There was little information in the responses on efforts to promote the economic empowerment and autonomy of women with disabilities and on measures to eradicate poverty among persons with disability, in spite of research showing that many persons with disability, especially women, are disproportionately affected by poverty.46 36. In some responses, reference was made to specific initiatives to protect women and girls with disabilities who experience violence. For example, in Croatia, the Government and civil society have published an SOS address book for women with disabilities containing information on institutions and organizations that provide victims of violence with counselling and accommodation. Initiatives of this type are however rare, and are mostly operated by non-governmental organizations. 37. Furthermore, in a limited number of responses, reference was made to cases of specific attention being paid to the situation and needs of women and girls with disabilities in programmes, plans and policies addressing gender-based violence.47 The responses suggested, however, that support services, including health care, community centres and 45 46 47 12 For example, in April 2010, the Government of Italy launched a nationwide awareness-raising campaign on disability under the slogan “Different skills, same desire to live”, aimed at changing social attitudes to persons with disabilities. According to a report by Price Waterhouse Coopers (www.pwc.com.au/industry/government/assets/disability-in-australia.pdf), approximately 45 per cent of people with a disability in Australia live either near or beneath the poverty line. For example, in Australia, the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children proposes investigating and promoting ways to improve access and responses to domestic violence; sexual assault services for women with disabilities; supporting better services for women and children with disabilities through the development of new evidence-based approaches; improving access to justice for women and children with disabilities who have been victims of violence; providing grants for primary prevention programmes to organizations working with women with disabilities; and fostering respectful relationships in a range of settings, including targeting vulnerable young people with an intellectual disability.