By Rasheeda Yahaya
The Deaf Women Association of Nigeria DWAN has called on the government to empower the deaf women in Nigeria to enable them be self reliant.
President and founder of the group, Mrs Helen Beyioku -Alase made the call during the opening event of the second National Deaf Women Summit at the Maryam Babangida centre for Women Development, Abuja, Nigeria.
Delivering her welcome address, madam Helen welcomed all participants from the 36 states of the federation including Abuja. “For those who are just coming to Abuja for the first time and to every guest, you are distinguished and you are all honourably welcome”.
“On behalf of the National Executives of Deaf Women Association of Nigeria, I am delighted to welcome you all to the International Women Development Centre in Abuja, Nigeria”.
“This has been an iconic place where the voices of women, including Deaf women, are heard the loudest. As Deaf women, we believe we have a stake in the future of our country, regardless of creed, station, or disability. Now, as the President of DWAN, I have the singular honour of having so many inspirational women—Deaf and hearing, thought leaders, and change agents, drawn from all sectors of Nigerian society, the largest nation in Africa and the world’s most populous black country—Deaf women in particular who are making extraordinary contributions and pushing boundaries wherever they happen to find themselves”.
This year’s theme of this Summit, “Empowering Deaf Women, Empowering Voices”, reflects a
commitment to fostering the strength, confidence, and leadership of Deaf women in Nigeria”.
Pointing out the significance of the three days event Helen highlighted the key areas that will be focused on.
The DWAN president went further by pointing out the Importance of the summit, reflects a passion to ensure that every single Deaf woman has access to reproductive health care and has a chance to assert themselves—to hear and be heard under very proper doctor-patient professional parameters”.
Helen revealed that much progress has been made in the upward mobility of Deaf women nationwide, noting that a recent report notes significant but uneven progress for Deaf women in sub-Saharan Africa. And that is progress.
“It’s real and we have to celebrate it, but we also have to remember that progress is not inevitable. It’s the result of decades of slow, tireless, often frustrating and unheralded work by people like
Deaconess Adedoyin Beyioku-Alase, popularly known as Mama Deaf who are here today—people who opened our eyes to the discrimination, both subtle and overt, that Deaf women face”.
“Deaf women like Erima Upah, Dr. Rashid Khadijat, Ms. Kenang Kwandi, Barr. Catherine Edeh, Mrs Janet Fashakin, etc, who redefined what personal leadership looks like. And, yes, all of the people, including Deaf women volunteers at DWAI, DWAN’s sister organization, who’ve raised the expectations of our Deaf women and girls — and our sons — for what is possible.
While there have been strides in raising awareness about the rights and inclusion of Deaf women”.
The group leader also pointed out some significant challenges being faced by the deaf community as a whole particularly in health care and leadership, barriers which still exist.
“There remain ongoing challenges such as limited access to quality health care, discrimination and legal protection, especially in areas relating to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence”.
“Therefore, the summit highlights the importance of not only equipping Deaf women with the tools
and skills necessary for personal and professional growth but also amplifying their voices in society. The theme suggests a focus on creating opportunities for Deaf women to advocate for their rights, participate in decision-making, and assert their presence in various spheres of life, particularly in
health care”.
“Healthfulness is wholeness Through empowerment, the event aims to cultivate resilience, leadership, and advocacy, ensuring that Deaf women are heard, respected, and included in conversations around key issues such as gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health, leadership development, and strategic governance”.
” Ultimately, the theme champions the idea that by empowering Deaf women, our voices
will reverberate through society, leading to broader inclusion and positive change.
Helen further said that the three days summit, will focus on several key areas vital to the empowerment and leadership which include, capacity building for Deaf women, addressing the critical issue of gender based violence, and engaging in workshops and interactive sessions designed to strengthen our understanding of sexual and reproductive health matters and rights. We will also delve into leadership development, with sessions that will sharpen our leadership skills, enhance our strategic planning and governance, and provide training on lobbying techniques and advocacy skills.
“Building an Accessible and Equitable Healthcare System for Deaf Women To achieve inclusion for Deaf women in healthcare access, a new world of work must be constructed that is fully accessible, equitable, and supportive of their unique needs. This new framework should include providing sign language interpreters and visual aids in healthcare settings, as well as developing digital healthcare tools that cater specifically to Deaf individuals”.
“Furthermore, educating and training healthcare professionals in Deaf culture and communication. Highly consequential is the need for more employment opportunities for Deaf women within the healthcare
sector”.
There were goodwill messages from different organisations at the event.
Representative of the Ministry of humanitarian affairs Mr Idowu Kolawole Julius said that the ministry is happy with what you DWAN is doing and are solely behind it.
“It is good that you are coming together to celebrate your achievements and thank god that we are working towards establishing this country and based on the good leadership of the resident Bola asiwaju administration we shall always support you”.
Also , the representative of the Ministry of women affairs said the ministry will give DWAN maximum support in all their activities.
“I commend the commission for pushing for the recognition and empowerment of deaf women because when they are united they will achieve a lot”
The summit which started on the 26th August will last for three days