Agness Chindimba champions Deaf women’s rights at CSW69 Beijing+30

From 10-21 March 2025, Agness Chindimba, Equal Zimbabwe campaign partner, steering committee member and director of Deaf Women Included (DWI), represented Deaf women from across Africa at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York.  

Held under the Beijing+30 theme, this year’s gathering marked a critical milestone in the global fight for gender equality, with a renewed focus on intersectionality, inclusion and accountability. 

As a Deaf leader from Zimbabwe, Agness brought a vital and often overlooked perspective to the global policy stage. Her presence was a bold affirmation of the rights, strength and leadership of Deaf women in Africa –communities that continue to face compounded discrimination based on gender, disability and communication barriers. 

Agness participated in high-level dialogues, side events and advocacy spaces, using national sign language and accessible platforms to engage fully and meaningfully. Her interventions emphasised the urgent need for inclusive gender policies that reflect the realities of women with disabilities, especially Deaf women, and she highlighted how current global frameworks still fall short of recognising linguistic and cultural inclusion as central to gender equality. 

“This was a moment of true visibility”, Agness said. “For once, I was not just in the room – I was part of the conversation. I represented Deaf women from across Africa who are often left out of policy spaces, and I made it clear that our voices, our languages and our leadership matter.”