NAN-H-65
Empowerment
By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
Abuja, Jan 15, 2018 (NAN) Deaf Women Association of Nigeria (DWAN), Abuja Chapter says it has concluded plans to empower 20 illiterate deaf women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Mrs Hellen Beyioku-Alase, President of DWAN made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
She said the empowerment programme, in partnership with the U. S Embassy, was designed to make them self-reliant and aware of their fundamental human rights.
“It is going to be a six months project on how to handle sexual exploitation and violent against deaf women and girls.
“We are also going to train 20 young deaf women in soft furnishing, beads making and others to impact on their lives, especially those who are not able to go to school.
“This project seeks to make them aware of their sexual and reproductive rights and also to make them to be self-reliant.
“This is just a pilot project and we are working with funds that can only support 20 persons and we hope the government can support us to do more,’’ Beyioku-Alase said.
She said the recent workshop on sexual exploitation and violence against deaf women and girls in Abuja was initiated as a result of high rate of exploitation.
Beyioku-Alase explained that deaf women were always the easy target of sexual violence and abuse because “they find it difficult to communicate and make reports at the police station’’.
She noted that there were no sign interpreters in the police stations thus making it difficult and discouraging for deaf women to report sexual violence against them to the police.
“If a deaf girl complains of being raped by a relation to her parents, they will tell her to keep quiet; so because of fear, shame and marginalisation, she will not talk.
“But through workshops, we have been helping them to understand that it is their right to report violation either by family members or neighbours because it is a crime,’’ she said.
Beyioku-Alase, whose husband is deaf said; “it is regrettable that parents abandon their children on the excuse of being deaf.
She maintained that regardless of any form of disability, a child was important to the family and society, adding that such abandon children could be vulnerable to human traffickers.
According to her, being deaf does not mean that life is useless that is why this project is being supported by the U.S. Embassy.
“When parents are not close to their children and they don’t place value on them, people can take advantage of such children.
She said such children were prone to sexual exploitation and violence because when perpetrators watched and noticed that nobody cared for them, they would now take advantage of the children.
“A deaf person can become successful in life, what he or she needs is love from the family and society; forget about challenges, we also have abilities.
“I want to thank the U.S Embassy for believing in our ability to support us with funds and also call on the Federal Government to support us to do more,’’ She said. (NAN)
CMY/MO/EAL
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Edited by Omolade MM/Ekemini Ladejobi