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| Source: Freepik Free Photo| Deaf women communicating through sign language https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/deaf-women-communicating-through-sign-language_8969137.htm |
Did you know why we never find more Deaf women in our community? The Deaf female population is fewer than the Deaf male, I am not sure about how number, but it seems not much what I said. So, that's why the organization is male-dominated and has almost no female representative. That's bad for sure! I'm not going to be happy by seeing the fewer participation Deaf females in Indonesia. That's not okay for me. We need more participation in Deaf females so Deaf females have an equal chance as men do and they can lead the organization and then make the change we expected in the future.
But now kinda better and more female representative. We had a thrilling program to encourage Deaf youth females. If I am not mistaken, we had a Deaf girl who was selected to represent Indonesia in participating in the World Deaf Junior Camp 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. And, we also held the first Deaf females camp in Bogor, which was targeted at youth females.
Deaf females are at risk more than Deaf males because a Deaf woman has a triple minority identity as a woman, as a Deaf, and as a minority person. So, they always are at risk of sexual harassment, like rape. I met a Deaf woman who talked about her experience living as a Deaf woman in Medan. She told me about her friends who were also Deaf women and raped by her boyfriend (I am not sure that they had a boyfriend or what if I am not mistaken when she told me there were two hearing guys? I hope I'm not wrong). Two hearing guys left them alone and raised their babies themselves. You can know how they faced. I don't need to share more.
As I said that there are 90% of Deaf children were raised by hearing parents who do not know sign language, so if they have a Deaf woman and they would lock her in the house and even monitor her children out of the house. That all happens because the hearing parents are over-worried about their children as Deaf women and disbelieve the independence of Deaf women. Unlikely hearing women more independent and freedom, Deaf women must be facing things that they need to get through. Deaf women barely have the brave to speak aloud and to be who they are. I think it all causes the Deaf education that created left behind by the regular education (hearing education). In SLB/ special needs school, we aren't taught about sex education because considered taboo and undeserved to be taught but we know porn! Because we watch and talk about it. That's why Deaf women are more at risk than Deaf men. Too many Deaf women are caught in rape and forcibly raising their unplanned babies themselves.
Luckily, we have the inspiration from Deaf women in Indonesia, like Laura Lesmana Wijaya, Siti Rodiah, Felicia Nissi, Bunda Galuh, and more, despite only little that I know as far. Laura is well-being known as the first Deaf woman linguist and leading the Pusbisindo (BISINDO Center). She studied sign language linguistic major at CUHK (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Hong Kong. She is my favorite the Deaf woman bravest that ever I met, a good listener, and we hugged in virtual! The fun fact is she was an English teacher to me in the Deaf virtual English class in 2020! So, I was always excited to attend the English class with her because she was the best teacher ever! I really want to meet her in person and then we can hug back! Siti is a Deaf woman social media influencer and activist. She has more experience in managing and encouraging Deaf females in Indonesia. Nissi is a Deaf feminist and has always been defending the Deaf female rights. She is going to fly to Nebraska, United States to attend a youth exchange event. Bunda Galuh is a trailblazer in Deaf education using the bilingual system in Indonesia and a founder of a Deaf Muslim homeschooling that is called The Little Hijabi, Bekasi. She graduated as a psychology major in UGM, Yogyakarta about ten years! She also graduated as a sign language linguistic major from La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Four bravest Deaf women that ever I met in my life. I love them. And, maybe I wish more going! I would need more active participation in the Deaf women in Indonesia because it more matters! I have always been rooting for women's soccer, women's sports, and now the Deaf women!
Attending the Deaf women will make our community more strong and make a change in the future. We don't want to make our organization traditionally male-dominated and we want to make our community more inclusive and more open to everyone who has an equal chance and can lead the community. LGBTQ, women, disability, religion, race, and whatever, we are open and welcome!
That's what a way I wish for since!
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