Núcleo Disca

Disability and citizenship

Women with disabilities and the loss of custody of their children: “Carers, but not mothers”

Pía Rodríguez-Garrido, Florencia Herrera, Andrea Yupanqui-Concha, Andrea Rojas and Melissa Hichins-Arismendi.

Key points:

  • Historically, the motherhood of women with disabilities has been questioned due to negative representations about them. It is often assumed that women with disabilities cannot be mothers, and when they are, their ability to care for their children is doubted.
  • According to international literature, women with disabilities are at greater risk of losing custody of their children. However, in Chile, there is little evidence about this issue.
  • This article analyzes the experiences of three Chilean mothers with disabilities who faced legal proceedings regarding the custody of their sons or daughters.
  • The findings show several difficulties that women with disabilities must face in order to prove they are capable of being mothers.
  • The article concludes that, if proper support is provided and the disabling view is changed, mothers with disabilities can provide the care and parenting their children need.

 

Notes:

  • The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.
  • This article was originally published in English.

Rodríguez-Garrido, P., Herrera, F., Yupanqui-Concha, A., Rojas., A y Hichins-Arismendi, M. (2025). Women with disabilities and the loss of custody of their children: “Carers, but not mothers”. Feminism & Psychology 2025, Vol. 35(2) 246–267. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593535241294149. 

https://doi.org/10.1177/09593535241294149