The Deaf Bulletin 2014 Issue 4
“Empower Deaf women, eradicate hunger and poverty….”
The gospel of women empowerment has been preached for a long time in Zimbabwe. Some women have benefited due to proximity to the preacher. Those who are in the marginal areas such as rural areas have just heard of women empowerment thus if one is privileged to have a radio. However, to a Deaf woman, women empowerment issues have never existed in her life.
Despite the significant progress made by the government to ensure more women in decision making position, most Deaf women do not knowledge or ability to exercise their rights. Deaf women are living in poverty without any alternative livelihoods whilst their hearing counterparts have been graced to taste the empowerment programmes.
Inequality between people continues to persist and Deaf women and girls continue to face discrimination in access to employment, economic opportunities and participation in government. Discrimination has undermined opportunities for Deaf women and it has denied them the ability to fully utilize their basic human rights.
Zimbabwe is signatory to several conventions and treaties be internationally or regionally which promotes women empowerment, the most notably the Millennium Convention which has 8 development goals. The Zimbabwean government precisely identified goal number 3 as a national priority which indicates the promotion of gender equality and empowerment. In all this implementation, the Deaf woman has been forgotten. She cannot be identified as a beneficiary of government programmes? It is time for our policy makers to think of Deaf women in their programmes.
How can they be helped to find their way out of poverty when they are not being empowered? Women are the bedrock of any nation’s sustainable development. Resources should be channelled towards Deaf women to start selfhelp projects and reach highest level of leadership in all areas.
Empowering Deaf women as well break the cycle of poverty in the society.
Other topics covered in this bulletin are:
- “Anything for us without us is against us…”
- Education, a Transformation Tool
- DZT Caption It Campaign!