Leadership workshop’ for women with disabilities aims to build future leaders

Lack of awareness and social taboos impact people with disabilities in a big way in India, most of all girls and women, who also battle issues related to safety.

Women with disabilities are seeking to push aside those barriers and to be able to do that, they need to be made aware of their rights.

To enable this, National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI India) in association with Mobility International USA is organising a leadership conference in Mumbai.

Mobility International USA is a global organization working in the space of disability rights and leadership while NAMI India, founded by Akhila Charagi, worke to empower people with mental illness.

Charagi’s says the goal is to ensure that they are treated with fairness and given opportunity for proper healthcare, rehabilitation and support.

The two organizations have come together to hold a workshop on 2 February. .

The one-day Women’s Leadership Workshop is a free event and will be accessible and in English and Hindi. Sign language interpreters, captioning, workshop materials in Braille, and accommodation are some of the facilities that will be provided.

Participants will be required to register by email and the workshop is open to women with all types of disabilities. The workshop aims to empower women with knowledge about the rights of disabled people, so they impart that information to others.

The workshop is specifically to create women leaders in local communities who can work towards creating awareness. The workshop is an effort to create sensitization across all disabilities and to create a feeling of unity and strength. – Akhila Charaogi, National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI India)

Crucial topics such as sexuality, self-defense and human rights under the United Nations convention and the RPWD act will be discussed. “There will be a session where women will be taught some tips and tricks on self-defense”, adds Charagi.

Jasmina Khanna, an engineer with cerebral palsy, is among those who is attending the workshop.

“I hope to learn more about the rights of disabled people. I also wish to learn about how to deal with lack of awareness when it comes to disability rights”, says Khanna.

The world over, women have shown that given the opportunity they can be the voices of social change for their communities. Information about their rights is a key step towards making that happen.

To know more about the workshop Click Here.

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