Following the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, EFHOH is proud to release its latest report, Hard of Hearing Women and Girls in Europe, a first step in shedding light on the challenges faced by women and girls with hearing loss.  

Women with disabilities are 2 to 5 times more likely to experience violence than women without disabilities, with 34% reporting physical or sexual violence from a partner, compared to 19% of women without disabilities. Such statistics show the higher risk hard of hearing women face in terms of exposure to violence and discrimination and emphasize the importance of addressing the data gap and advancing the visibility of their experiences. 

The report, based on survey responses from women across Europe, identifies communication barriers at the core of the challenges faced by hard of hearing women, impacting access to healthcare, justice, employment, and participation in civic and political life. Survey respondents argued that the lack of communication support not only limits their autonomy but also prevents them from fully exercising their rights and reporting violence.

By amplifying the voices of hard of hearing women, the report emphasizes the urgent need to tackle the intersectional discrimination of gender and hearing loss. EFHOH urges policymakers, organizations, and communities to collaborate in creating accessible environments where women with hearing loss can fully empower themselves.

EFHOH President: “EFHOH Board is pleased to see this report as a much needed first step, towards making Hard of Hearing women issues visible. We hope the report will help improve understanding the challenges Hard of Hearing women face and provide much needed guidance for improvements. We are grateful to the EU Commission for the financial assistance to make this report a reality and our volunteers and staff for working on this initiative.”

Read and download the full report here: Hard of Hearing Women and Girls in Europe