Project BREAK - Βreaking Barriers

Breaking barriers to support young women with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) in understanding consent and accessing safe disclosure mechanisms, with the aim of preventing sexual and gender-based violence and promoting accessible, rights-based and comprehensive sexuality education.

Context

Women and girls with disabilities, particularly those with IDD, face a significantly higher risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) compared to their non-disabled peers. Research shows that women with disabilities experience sexual violence at nearly twice the rate of women without disabilities, due to intersecting factors such as gender inequality, social stigma, dependency on caregivers, and limited access to information and support services (UN Women, 2018; Ledingham et al., 2022). Many perpetrators are individuals known to the victim, including partners, family members, or caregivers, which further complicates disclosure and access to protection.

At the same time, women and girls with disabilities often face barriers to receiving Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), as persistent stereotypes question their sexuality or their capacity to understand such topics. This lack of accessible information increases vulnerability and makes it more difficult to recognise abusive behaviours or seek help.

In response to this gap, the BREAK project aims to strengthen the primary prevention of SGBV among young women aged 15–29 with IDD by promoting inclusive and adapted comprehensive sexuality education, empowerment, and safe disclosure mechanisms. Through a rights-based and intersectional approach, the project will co-create accessible educational content and digital tools, including storytelling-based methods, to support self-advocacy, informed decision-making, and the recognition and reporting of violence, while also engaging professionals and stakeholders in creating safer and more inclusive environments.

Objectives

  • To empower young women with IDD and reduce their vulnerability to SGBV by promoting accessible, rights-based CSE that strengthens their ability to make informed decisions, exercise bodily autonomy, recognise abusive behaviours, and safely report experiences of violence.
  • To strengthen the capacity of frontline professionals—including educators, support workers, therapists, and carers—to deliver adapted CSE.
  • To co-design the BREAKpoint digital platform, ensuring safety, accessibility and user-friendliness for young women with IDD, combining prevention-oriented educational content with accessible disclosure features that support communication, storytelling, safety planning, and guided reporting.
  • To engage young men with IDD in the prevention of SGBV, promoting their understanding of consent, empathy, respectful relationships, and positive expressions of masculinity, encouraging them building safer and more inclusive environments.
  • To raise awareness and challenge stigma surrounding sexuality and disability, particularly regarding women, through inclusive communication campaigns and promotion of a culture of consent, equality, and respect.
  • To promote policy and systemic change by advocating for the integration of disability-informed SGBV prevention into education, social services, and safeguarding systems.

Activities

  • Research and co-design accessible tools together with young women with IDD, professionals, and stakeholders.
  • Development of the BREAKpoint digital platform to provide information on consent, relationships, safety, and rights, including a Prevention Module (consent education and awareness) and a Safe Disclosure Module with a digital storytelling assistant.
  • Capacity building for educators, support workers, therapists, and caregivers, providing training and practical tools to deliver accessible CSE and support safe disclosure.
  • Transnational webinar for professionals across Europe on disability and GBV issues.
  • Educational workshops with young women with IDD to promote understanding of consent, respectful relationships, and personal safety.
  • Educational workshops with young men with IDD to promote understanding of consent, respectful relationships, and personal safety.
  • Awareness and outreach activities, including a European online campaign and public communication activities to raise awareness about disability rights, challenge stigma, and promote a culture of consent and respect.
  • Stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue through local roundtables with institutions and stakeholders to support knowledge exchange and contribute to advocacy actions and policy recommendations.
  • Final online conference.

Resources

  • BREAKpoint Platform
  • BREAKthrough Curriculum and Training material
  • Evaluation Report on outcomes of the empowerment sessions with young people with IDD
  • Awareness & Prevention Campaign
  • Newsletters
  • National Position Papers
  • EU Policy Brief

Impact

  • Empowerment of at least 100 young women (15–29) with IDD through accessible, symbol-based CSE that improves understanding of bodily autonomy, consent, and safe relationships.
  • Reduced vulnerability to SGBV through adapted visual tools that help young women with IDD recognise abuse, communicate boundaries, and safely disclose experiences of violence.
  • Stronger professional capacity of more than 150 professionals in the use of accessible CSE tools to support safe disclosure through gender-sensitive safeguarding practices.
  • Engagement of at least 75 young men with IDD in activities promoting empathy, respect for boundaries, and healthy relationships, contributing to the reduction of harmful gender stereotypes.
  • Policy and institutional uptake through the engagement of 75 stakeholders in at least three countries to endorse or implement project recommendations.
  • Greater public awareness across the EU through inclusive SGBV prevention messages reaching over 50,000 online users.
  • Improved service response to violence for young women with IDD: through the adoption of BREAKpoint tools and visual storytelling methods.

Partners