Vinh City Deaf Women and Girls Group is a part of Nghe An Province Women and Girls Club. The group was established in accordance with the needs of deaf women who want to have a private space to share their thoughts and aspirations while improving their knowledge and skills in all fields by using their own sign language. Within the framework of the “Building the Capacity to Respond to Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities in Nghe An Province” project, since the early days of the project, Deaf Women and Girls Group have always received special attention.
This Deaf Women Group in Nghe An Province have limited knowledge compared to people with other types of disabilities and use a variety of sign languages (daily life sign language and sign language at school). Particularly, there are deaf women who have no idea of sign language. Besides, sign language interpreters in Nghe An Province are not competent enough to meet the needs for interpretation of participants in training sessions. All these factors have made it really difficult for deaf women to access the information. During the first training courses, many deaf participants were bored and frustrated because they could not keep up with lessons and class activities. Immediately after that, prompt adjustments to the plan in line with the actual situation have been discussed and made. First of all, for the sake of local interpreters’ skills, they have been assigned to interpret usual activities of the project so that they will have more opportunities to be exposed to daily life sign language. For activities that require more specialized interpretation, the project has assigned trained and experienced interpreters in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. This change has brought many positive effects, helping deaf leaners acquire more precise and adequate knowledge as well as teachers, as listeners, communicate with them more easily.
An experienced interpreter in Ho Chi Minh City is interpreting in the training session for the core group of women with disabilities
In order to really minimize the cases of gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities, it is important to build the capacity of deaf women and girls. Therefore, intensive training on sign language related to gender-based violence for the core group of deaf women has been prioritized in the project. The main trainer in this course was Ms. Huong Thanh Thi Bui - a deaf lady with considerable experience in training related to gender-based violence. In addition to being taught and learning in sign language, the culture of deaf people was also integrated into the course. Whereas participants had not had a clear understanding of definitions of sex-gender, prejudice, inequality, gender-based violence, etc. before, by the end of the training course, they recognized prejudice and inequality in their families, schools and workplace.
Deaf participants actively participated in activities in the training course in Enhancing Sign Language Related to Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities
Linh Thi Nguyen shared in the training session: “I was really glad to attend this session. Our deaf trainer used appropriate teaching methods. Learning was fun. After this course, I could confidently pass the knowledge I have learned on to other deaf people.” And as promised, after completing the training course, Linh and her peers organized a knowledge sharing session on gender-based violence against deaf women for others in Nghe An Province Deaf People Club. The sharing session was attended by a large number of deaf women.
Characteristics of the disability and language of deaf women are also among the factors that make it more difficult to organize joint activities with women and girls with other disabilities. Therefore, the project has actively adjusted its plan and organized peer counseling sessions only for deaf women. Being with people of the same age, with the same disability and language, deaf women have become more willing to share, and many cases of gender-based violence were promptly identified and supported. H., 21 years old, shared in the peer counseling session: “I often noticed men’s impolite looks. They looked at me as if I was an item, then commented and laughed. I was very upset, but I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, so I didn’t know how to react. I just left quietly and felt sad all day.”
A peer counseling session for deaf women in Vinh City
Stories like these have become lessons learned for deaf women to help each other overcome difficulties. Besides, after this peer counseling session, the core group of deaf women has become bolder and more proactive in planning, making action plans, enhancing skills in organizing and running meetings.
The lesson learned during the process of implementing the project involves understanding the characteristics of the disability, target groups and changing promptly to make differences. A lot of positive changes made to each individual and the Deaf Women Group have led to the overall success of the whole project. Such changes act as a solid premise for minimizing cases of gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities in general and deaf women and girls in particular.
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