Several cases were documented in Region X that women with disabilities’ husbands prohibited them from using contraceptives and breastfeeding their children. Husbands or live-in-partners of women with disabilities from Pateros (NCR), barred them from accessing RH services, using artificial contraception, and vaccinating their children. A woman with disability said, “Ayaw ng asawa ko [ng contraceptives], saka yung mga libreng bakuna sa bata ayaw din niya—kasi daw nilalagnat, baka ano daw mangyari sa bata. Ang nagkaroon lang ng complete vaccines is my youngest.” (My husband does not want to use contraceptives; he also does not want to avail of the free vaccines for the children— because he says they get a fever, and something could happen to them. Only my youngest was able to be fully vaccinated.) Husbands restrict access to GBV remedies through economic control and social isolation. In Cagayan de Oro, a deaf woman was physically abused by her husband, but she did not file a case because he is the breadwinner of the family. As such, she fears that they will have no financial support if he gets arrested. In Pateros, another deaf woman experienced abuse from a partner; “Akala ko mabait. Dami ko pasa [pero] di [ako] nagsumbong dahil malayo [ang pamilya ko]. Sa deaf community [ako] nagkuwento. Naaawa sila pag binubugbog [ako at] pinatatahimik ng lalaki.” (“I thought he was kind. I had many bruises but I couldn’t tell my family because they live far from me. I told my story to the deaf community. They take pity on me when he beats me, and when he silences me.”) The said partner even prevented the victim from reaching out to the deaf community. Excessive interference of family members, including in-laws, in women with disabilities’ control over their sexuality and reproductive rights was documented across Inquiry sites. Examples of this are the prohibition from having intimate relationships; restricting movements within households to limit acquaintances, the chance to meet a partner, and get married; prohibiting pregnancy; and forcing abortion. Testimonies of women with disabilities from Butuan and Manila attributed the meddling of their family members to their overprotectiveness. They conveyed that their family members were worried that they could not take care of themselves and/or their children. They were also thinking of a possibility that their husbands/partners could maltreat and/or abandon them. Women with disabilities also attributed their family members’ concerns about the possibility of their children inheriting their disability and/or having ill health as they could not properly attend to their needs. There were, however, women with disabilities who attributed the intrusion of family members to overt discrimination. Women with disabilities shared that they were prohibited from having boyfriends due to their disability. One was told by a family member that, “Magbo-boyfriend ka pa e disabled ka!” (“You should not have a boyfriend because you are disabled!”). Another was also told, ‘Paano ka makakatagpo ng lalaki [na kasintahan] e panget ka! Sasabihan pa ng mga tao [ang magiging kasintahan] mo na, “Bakit siya pa na pilay?”’ (“How can you find a boyfriend, when you are ugly! And people will tell your boyfriend “Why choose her, when she has a disability.”’) 18