Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
Deaf women to fight rapists - JAMAICAOBSERVER.COM
Some 30 hearing-impaired women were yesterday taught to defend themselves against would-be attackers during a multi-faceted workshop funded by UNAIDS and organised by the Ministry of Health and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD).
The programme, which was established after a needs assessment survey revealed that hearing-impaired women were prone to violence, especially sexual violence, is the fourth in a series of islandwide workshops.
"They can't say no and they can't scream," explained programme rapporteur, Nicola Cousins.
Martial arts instructor, Marcia "Cherry Natural" Wedderburn, who taught the practical self-defence aspect of the programme said it was extremely important to equip this vulnerable group in the society with the tools to defend themselves.
"This is very, very important, we have to empower them to know that they can use their hands and feet and defend themselves by any means," she said.
She said her lessons did not focus on might against might but on the several nerve endings in the body which could be targeted and could disable an attacker long enough for the victim to get away.
According to Cousins, yesterday's programme, which also has a nutritional and a skills training component was very important as traditional radio and television programmes to prevent HIV/AIDS do not cater to the hearing impaired.
"There is a lack of information reaching hearing-impaired women as radio programmes are out and television programmes are not accompanied by interpreters," she lamented. "If they had an interpreter they could at least follow."
Already the programme, which also provides a resource person who is living with HIV, in order to illustrate the real life consequences of contracting the disease, has reached deaf women in Kingston, May Pen and Mandeville. The next stops along the way include Negril, Westmoreland, Ocho Rios, St Ann and Knockpatrick in Manchester.
Some 30 hearing-impaired women were yesterday taught to defend themselves against would-be attackers during a multi-faceted workshop funded by UNAIDS and organised by the Ministry of Health and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD).
The programme, which was established after a needs assessment survey revealed that hearing-impaired women were prone to violence, especially sexual violence, is the fourth in a series of islandwide workshops.
"They can't say no and they can't scream," explained programme rapporteur, Nicola Cousins.
Martial arts instructor, Marcia "Cherry Natural" Wedderburn, who taught the practical self-defence aspect of the programme said it was extremely important to equip this vulnerable group in the society with the tools to defend themselves.
"This is very, very important, we have to empower them to know that they can use their hands and feet and defend themselves by any means," she said.
She said her lessons did not focus on might against might but on the several nerve endings in the body which could be targeted and could disable an attacker long enough for the victim to get away.
According to Cousins, yesterday's programme, which also has a nutritional and a skills training component was very important as traditional radio and television programmes to prevent HIV/AIDS do not cater to the hearing impaired.
"There is a lack of information reaching hearing-impaired women as radio programmes are out and television programmes are not accompanied by interpreters," she lamented. "If they had an interpreter they could at least follow."
Already the programme, which also provides a resource person who is living with HIV, in order to illustrate the real life consequences of contracting the disease, has reached deaf women in Kingston, May Pen and Mandeville. The next stops along the way include Negril, Westmoreland, Ocho Rios, St Ann and Knockpatrick in Manchester.