About SDW

Society for Disabled Women

SDW Pakistan

Sdw08@yahoo.com

Street # 9 Barkat pura, H# 3787 D-82

P.O.Box : 1075

Faisalabad 38090

Pakistan

http://www.disabilityworld.org/12-02_05/women/sdw.shtml

http://www.dpi.org/en/resources/reports/11-09-04_sdwpakistan.htm

http://www.dpi.org/en/events/international/IDDP2004/asia-pacific/SDWPakistan.htm

What is SDW?

SDW stands for “SOCIETY FOR DISABLED WOMEN”

Is SDW registered organization?

Yes SDW is registered under the societies act XXI of 1860 government of Pakistan.

Where are the offices located?

SDW main office in Barkatpura Faisalabad.

Sub office in railway colony Faisalabad run by disabled women

Sub office in Toba Tek Singh

Vision of SDW?

"SDW envision empowering disabled women and children for better life opportunities and facilities to enjoy equal rights"

Is SDW women organization?

No SDW focus on children and women. The initiative was taken by women.

Is SDW run by disabled women group?

SDW run by disabled and normal women group.

SDW focus

SDW focus on awareness program and Rehabilitation program

Awareness program for disabled beneficiaries and parents guardians?

Disabled women and children community is totally neglected and ignorant members of the male dominant society of Pakistan. Awareness is necessary because parents and disabled beneficiaries need motivation to cooperate and allow their disabled women and children to take part in the participatory development process.

Rehabilitation program for disabled children and women?

There are children girls and boys physically impaired, mentally impaired, visually impaired, deaf and dumb.

After completing awareness procedure rehabilitation activities are started. Which includes:

Medical rehabilitation

Physiotherapy of physically handicap

Eye camps

Sugar check up of disabled women

Helping disabled children to reach government institution for proper treatment

Vocational rehabilitation

SDW helped more than 50disabled women with sewing skills. SDW has supported with manual singer sewing machines to earn their livings independently. (local donations)

SDW helped Perveen saleem deaf and dumb woman to learn crafts designing skills.

There are five disabled women who run shops (karyana store). SDW has helped them and trained them with the local support.

Two children sell eggs at night on wheel chairs. SDW has helped them to do some work to earn their livings.

Educational rehabilitation

There are more than 25 girls/boys children who are physically impaired mostly polio affected studying in primary schools in rural and urban areas. SDW is pushing them with the local support.

These children do not have wheel chairs to go to school.

SDW field workers (CBR) also guide the disabled children and women at home to get primary education.

How are the disabled women and children located?

(Fieldworkers) CBR of SDW goes around the places rural and urban target areas in Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh districts.

How the membership is given?

The disabled women and children parents are motivated. They are totally convinced to cooperate with SDW in future development activities with these neglected members of the society. The membership form is filled with the due permission of parents of disabled beneficiary.

How the parents and relatives react?

SDW field workers have experienced the attitude and unpleasant behavior of the parents and guardians of disabled children and women.

For example: if the disabled children are invited for the meeting and activity in the surroundings. The parents clearly refuse of taking responsibility for bringing up and down for activity. They argue that SDW should be fully responsible to make arrangements otherwise they won’t send them for any activity.

Field visits and meetings

SDW field workers (CBR) visit door to door to inculcate awareness among the disabled women and children members about the SDW efforts and programs for them. Field visits is ongoing activity for the whole year.

The parents and general public are also visited time to time.

Preparation of case studies of members of SDW

The complete case life history of each individual is prepared. The questionnaire is prepared and field workers collect information by visiting each individual member disabled children and women. Then particular member is invited in the center and secretary general, program officer, coordinator add more information by meeting her/him individually. Then whole story about his/her is prepared.

Why case studies are prepared?

The main purpose of preparation of case studies is to collect basic information of each individual disabled member. Through this case study we come to know about the real root cause of disability.

Secondly we have future plan to publish all these case histories of disabled children in the form of book. The book will help to spread disability situation among the general public.

Events celebrations

Cultural

National

International

International disabled day is celebrated to gather all disabled women and children at one platform to develop mutual relationship among each other.

This year on 3^rd of December SDW has made an effort to raise awareness among general public to understand the importance of this day. The main purpose of awareness campaign through poster distribution among general public will make realization of rights of disabled community. Which is neglected and depressed.

Ms. Nabeela Anwar

Program officer

SDW Pakistan

Sdw08@yahoo.com

Previous activities 2005

What are the Concerns of Women with Disabilities?

Women with disabilities, who represent up to 20 percent of the world's female population, (the majority of whom are living in less economically developed and transitional countries), experience the same problems and oppression faced by women everywhere. These critical concerns are compounded by discrimination and inaccessibility related to disability. Women and girls with disabilities have even less access than their non-disabled sisters to education and training, employment, transportation and housing.

"Women with disabilities are harassed sexually; exploited by men, suffer abject poverty, social disrespect, malnutrition, disease and ignorance."

Like other women around the world, women with disabilities are emerging from isolation to organize and fight for their rights and empowerment. Disabled women are reframing their individual struggles in a larger political and social context.

Meetings/visits

Strengthening and empowering disabled women community

Rozan (Zeest) Islamabad visited SDW office

Disabled women for peace

To mobilize women groups

Physiotherapy training for disabled women members

SDW translated IFOR’s women peacemakers’ program workshop kit into Pakistan’s National (Urdu) language

Disasters Relief efforts of SDW

Women day (8^th of March)

Mental health day (15^th October)

Rural women day (15^th October)

International Disabled Day (3^rd December)

Rehabilitation through vocational training, medical assistance, physiotherapy, guidance and counseling etc

Institutional rights of persons with disability in Pakistan