Zambia deaf youth and women-Ndola

11/04/2025

For Immediate Release

Ndola- 11th April, 2025 -The Zambia Deaf Youth and Women Association is calling on the government and the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) to release the report on Deaf Driving License benchmarking. We believe that transparency and accountability are essential in promoting the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities, including Deaf individuals.

As an organization established on firm principle of advocacy for the Deaf community, we are concerned about the lack of information on the benchmarking process for Deaf driving licenses. We urge the government and ZAPD to provide clear information on finding from their benchmarking in South Africa and road map for amendment of RTSA Act for Deaf individuals to obtain driving licenses, ensuring equal opportunities for all.

By releasing the benchmarking report and roadmap, the government and ZAPD can demonstrate their commitment to promoting inclusive transportation and supporting the mobility needs of Deaf individuals. We look forward to a prompt response and action on this matter.

Alick Nkhoma
Director
Zambia Deaf Youth and Women

22/03/2025

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18/03/2025

*Press Statement*

18th March, Ndola- The Zambia Deaf Youth and Women organization endorses the government's and CSOs call to amend certain articles in the Republic Constitution. This move aims to promote inclusive participation and equal representation particularly for Youth, Women and Persons with Disabilities in country's development agenda.

As an organization founded on the principles of promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, we fully support the delimitation exercise of vast constituencies. This ensures equitable benefits from the Constituency Development Fund and equal development opportunities for all Zambians. The call reaffirm the calls from majority Zambian citizens who want to see development close to their communities with increased CDF allocation.

We also welcome calls for enhanced representation of persons with disabilities in parliament through changes to the electoral system. For far too long, persons with disabilities have been misrepresented and their voices silenced in decision-making processes.

We urge all stakeholders to support the Republican President's call for constitutional amendments, ensuring that our constitution advances self-representation and active participation of persons with disabilities in legislative body. This will ultimately contribute to inclusive decision-making, legislation, and debates in the National Assembly.

Signed by:

Alick Nkhoma
Executive Director
Zambia Deaf Youth and Women

25/12/2024

19/12/2024

Good morning ☀️ kindly share and like our page

21/11/2024

On 23RD November,2024 . We will be having an OUTREACH (Ndola)

We would like to request for donations , clothes , shoes , utensils and anything that you feel you can donate 🙏

Remember God loves a cheerful giver🙌

Theme : iam giving from the depth of my heart ❤️
Join us in this journey 🙏

Contacts:

+260978722736

+260 97 5702902(Whatsap)

28/09/2024

International week for the deaf 27/09/2024 held in Ndola over 300 deaf came to celebrate. Face book keep for me.

23/09/2024

Sign up for sign language. For any material or finance support connect 0975702902.

23/09/2024

*Press Statement*

23rd September, 2024 Ndola- The Zambia Deaf Youth and Women organization welcomes the establishment and appointment of the Electoral Reforms Technical Committee. We are encouraged by the committee's mandate to recommend electoral reforms that truly reflect the wishes and aspirations of the Zambian people.

However, we have noted with serious concern the significant gaps in our constitution that need to be addressed to enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in the governance process. For far too long, persons with disabilities have been denied the opportunity for self-representation, and their voices have been marginalized in the political sphere.

We are particularly concerned about the lack of representation in the electoral process. The current system has failed to provide adequate accommodations and accessibility for persons with disabilities, resulting in their exclusion from the democratic process. This is unacceptable and perpetuates the cycle of discrimination and marginalization.

Furthermore, we take issue with Article 69 of the Amended Constitution, which empowers the President to nominate 8 members of Parliament from a special interest group. However, this provision has been largely abused in favor of individuals not perceived to belong to special interest groups that may consist of youth, women, and persons with disabilities. This has resulted in a lack of representation and perpetuates the marginalization of already vulnerable groups.

Therefore, we urge the Electoral Reforms Technical Committee to address these concerns and recommend reforms that will:

1. Enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in the electoral process
2. Provide adequate accommodations and accessibility in the electoral process
3. Define special interest groups to include persons with disabilities
4. Ensure representation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in political leadership

We further call for a change in the electoral system from First Past the Post to Mixed Member Proportional Representation. We believe that this change will enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in governance affairs and ensure self-representation in policy-making decisions.

We look forward to the committee's recommendations and hope that they will address the concerns of persons with disabilities in Zambia. We believe that dealing with the lacunas in our electoral system will promote the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in Zambia's political system and contribute to a more equitable and just society.

Issued by
*Alick Nkhoma*
*Executive Director*
*Zambia Deaf Youth and Women*

04/03/2024

Congratulations to you Naomi Banda for complete level one in sign language.