Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare
DEAF women and girls in Zimbabwe continue to face systemic exclusion despite the country’s progressive constitutional and policy commitments to both gender equality and disability rights, a new call to action has revealed.
According to Agness Chindimba, founder of Deaf Women Included (DWI), deaf women endure “a double burden of discrimination-both as women and as persons with disabilities.”
She said their needs are largely invisible in public policy, especially around access to Zimbabwean Sign Language (ZSL).
“Zimbabwe has ratified the CRPD and CEDAW, but the practical inclusion of Deaf women remains elusive. We need more than policy; we need implementation,” said Chindimba.
Though ZSL is recognised as an official language, it is rarely used in essential public services.
Deaf girls, she said, are often pushed out of school due to a lack of ZSL-trained teachers and accessible curricula, while many deaf women are unable to communicate with healthcare providers, leading to misdiagnoses and poor maternal outcomes.
“In clinics, deaf women cannot even explain their symptoms. In police stations, survivors of abuse face silence and stigma instead of justice,” Chindimba said.
Employment exclusion, she said, is also rampant, with most deaf women relegated to low-paying informal work due to inaccessible vocational training.
“Inclusion is not a luxury-it is a constitutional and moral obligation,” said Chindimba.
“We cannot build an inclusive Zimbabwe if we leave Deaf women behind.”
As Zimbabwe pushes towards Vision 2030, advocates insist that ensuring the full participation of Deaf women is not just about rights-it’s about sustainable national development.
