SEEDS

Background 

The intersection of gender and disability produces specific forms of social exclusion, rooted in structural inequalities and cultural norms that devalue the bodies and voices of women and LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities. This exclusion is further compounded by additional layers of marginalization, such as belonging to linguistic or other minority groups. These groups often face social invisibility, reduced autonomy, and limited access to education, employment, and community participation, conditions that heighten their exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) and constrain access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).  

Tackling discrimination and violence require more than legal reforms: it demands a transformation in how society constructs disability and gender, particularly at their intersections with minority status. Challenging ableist and patriarchal norms is essential to affirming the agency, sexuality, and rights of people with disabilities. In this context, selfdetermination plays a central role, empowering individuals to make decisions about their own lives, reclaim bodily autonomy, and confront the barriers embedded in social and institutional structures. 

Although scholarship has examined these intersections, research remains fragmented: there is a clear lack of integrated, policyoriented research grounded in lived experience, especially at local level. The project Social Empowerment and Equity in Disability and Gender in South Tyrol (SEEDS) responds to this gap by promoting approaches and policies that centre the voices, rights, and selfdetermination of women and LGBTQIA+ individuals with disabilities. 

About the Project 

SEEDS revolves around one main question:  How can South Tyrol develop intersectional, gendersensitive disability policies that promote equality and selfdetermination? Indeed, despite South Tyrol’s commitment to disability rights, particularly Provincial Law No. 7/2015, the integration of a gender perspective is still limited. 

SEEDS employs an interdisciplinary sociolegal and qualitative methodology informed by intersectional feminist theory and critical disability studies. It examines both institutional frameworks and lived experiences, to uncover how disability and gender shape access to rights and services. Conducted at Eurac Research’s Institute for Minority Rights, SEEDS aims to fill this gap by aligning local frameworks with international and supernational standards such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilitie,  and the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030. 

SEEDS adopts a participatory and communityengaged approach, cocreating knowledge and policy solutions with local stakeholders, starting from the embodied experience of marginalized groups. Leveraging South Tyrol’s legal autonomy and its historical commitment to minority rights, the project aims to develop innovative and replicable models of intersectional, gendersensitive disability policy. A key strength of SEEDS is its collaboration with local institutions, including the Provincial Observatory for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

Goals 

1. Evaluate legal and policy frameworks 
Assess Provincial Law No. 7/2015 and related legislation for their integration of gendersensitive and intersectional principles. 

2. Document lived experiences 
Investigate the daily realities of women and LGBTQIA+ individuals with disabilities in South Tyrol, with a focus on GBV and SRHR.  

3. Cocreate policy recommendations 
Develop practical, evidencebased recommendations with stakeholders to strengthen rights, wellbeing, and selfdetermination for people with disabilities.