Across Europe, young women with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) face a heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence. Yet many have limited access to sexuality education, safeguarding information, and accessible ways to seek help.
Closing this gap is the aim of “BREAK”, a European initiative in which KMOP is working with seven European organizations to make consent education and support more accessible. “BREAK” is developing resources to help young women aged 15–29 with IDD understand consent and personal boundaries, recognise unsafe situations and safely disclose experiences of violence.
Working with organisations in Lithuania, Spain, France, Italy and Belgium, KMOP will contribute to:
- An accessible digital platform with sexuality education and visual, symbol-supported stories. Young women will find support to understand consent, communicate their boundaries, recognise unsafe situations and find ways to seek help.
- Training materials for professionals, including educators, therapists, support workers and caregivers.
- Educational activities for young people with disabilities on consent, healthy relationships, personal boundaries and preventing sexual and gender-based violence. Young women will help shape the resources so they are accessible and relevant to their needs.
- Policy recommendations and awareness-raising activities to promote inclusive approaches to violence prevention and strengthen the protection of women with disabilities across Europe.
Workshops create space for discussion and reflection
As part of BREAK, KMOP EIH and Puzzle, a creative activity centre for children and young people with disabilities, held two two-hour workshops on 5 and 9 October 2026. The sessions brought together women with disabilities and Puzzle’s multidisciplinary team of psychologists and social workers, creating a supportive space for discussion and reflection on consent education.
Through these activities, KMOP aims to help professionals provide accessible, rights-based sexuality education and support young women with IDD to understand their rights, recognise unsafe situations and seek help.
For further information, contact us at [email protected].