Deaf Women Included (DWI)
41 Dorset Road East, Emerald Hill
Harare
Zimbabwe
Contact person: Mrs. Agness Chindimba
deafwomenincluded@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/deafwomenincluded/
https://www.womankind.org.uk/partners/deaf-women-included/
Topics
- Women's policy
- Social policy/disabled persons
- Educational policy/project
About us
Deaf Women Included (DWI), is a grassroots deaf women organisation founded in 2014 that works with deaf women from across all provinces in Zimbabwe. Deaf Women Included (DWI) was started in 2010 when deaf and disability rights activist Agness Chindimba observed that young women with disabilities were absent from critical meetings, conferences, and visions of the women’s rights movement in Zimbabwe and the region. Wanting to bridge the gap between the women’s rights and disability rights movements, Agness began to host meetings of deaf and hearing women leaders, and from their ideas, needs, priorities shaped DWI. Since then, the organization has grown to be a leader in advocating for the equal rights, access, power, and opportunities for deaf and disabled women and girls in Zimbabwe.
Our Vision is an inclusive society in which deaf women and girls are considered full citizens, enjoying the same human rights as anybody else and participating fully in all aspects of society.
DWI’s mission is to empower deaf women to claim access to information, health services, education and employment opportunities and to influence government, private sector and civil society to take the rights of deaf women into account in policy making as well as policy implementation.
Our work:
• Access to Education
• Access to Health Services
• Equal Rights & Full Participation in Society
• Girl Power
Projects:
• 16 Days of Activism
• Deaf TV Zimbabwe
• Deaf Girls Create Powerful Visions for the Future
• Program on ending child marriages: Through the Hivos Regional Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Fund, DWI has been implementing a program on ending child marriages among deaf girls addressing the underlying factors for the lack of access to Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) services since 20201 in Zhombe, Dora, Gweru, and Harare Districts. To achieve these goals, DWI implemented the following activities: community dialogue meetings, production of accessible information on child marriages, conducted training with girls with disabilities, established Deaf Girl Clubs, research, and developed a case management booklet. Through this project, girls with disabilities are being capacitated to recognize abuse, identify community members with whom they can report instances of abuse to and understand the impacts of child marriages.
Agness Chindimba is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Deaf Women Included (DWI).
For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.