AKINA DADA WA AFRICA SISTERS FROM AFRICA

Background to AkiDwA Founded in August 2001 by seven African women with support from the Catherine McAuley Centre Mission - To be a culturally appropriate service provision & social network that will respond to existing & changing needs of African women resident in Ireland and a representative body for African women regardless of ethnic or national origins, Religious traditions or legal and socio economic status. AkiDwA serves as a networking, information, advocacy and training forum for African women living in Ireland Why AkiDwA? - While there is some commonality in the migrant experiences of men & women, there are also differences and issues specific to women only. Mainstream male dominated representative bodies cannot deal effectively with these

AkiDwA work focus on  Development education / community development  Racial and intercultural understanding  Human rights Influencing policy Ethos The value that underpins the work of AkiDwA and guide our visions are Providing a critical and responsive approach towards the portrayal of African women in Ireland. Being a focal point for African women in Ireland Women’s Right Cultural respect Development education/ community development Solidarity/Gender analysis

AkiDwA Aims and objectives are:  To identify and establish a network with existing groups of African women in Ireland  To set up a resource centre for African women  To provide training on culture and diversity awareness and educate against racism to community, community workers and others service providers dealing with the needs of African women  To undertake research which will identify the particular needs of African women residents in Ireland  To empower African women with self development and life skills training  To organise for seminars, conferences and public meetings with themes that reflects to the needs of African women  To work with national bodies and other organisation in Ireland in order to influence national policy  To promote the integration in Ireland by organising and hosting social cultural events and workshops.

AkiDwA is a national organisation. Up to date we have worked with African women in Galway, Longford,Wexford, Waterford,Letterkenny,Tallaght,Inner city,Brancherstown, hostels-Arlingtonhotel-Galway,and various in Dublin The Demand to work with other groups such as in cork, limerick, Tralee and many others remain as a big challenge due to lack of sufficient funding. Through AkiDwA work some of the most pressing needs has been identified some of these needs that questions the Law and Policy regarding this women situation are- Within Direct provision- Families and pregnant mothers experiences huge problems during their live in hostels, space, privacy,social exclusion-which is a denial for basic human rights

Racism- All the women worked with has experienced racism. Institutional and individual racism remain as a huge threat for women and their children.The hatred act of 1990 has not been put in to enforcement Immigration policy and Law- Gender specific obstacles such as rape, FGM, violence and forced marriages not considered as ground for asylum- 4yr ago woman commit suicide case reject Health needs- Not met Victims of FGM, War not supported. Maternity hospitals, reproductive control Education- Lack of proper integration for children in schools, lack of diversity/ integration of the curriculum women not supported to go back to education. Employment- Exploitation for women from ethnic background, refusal to work, unskilled job when you are educated, qualification not recognised. Lack of proper law and policy for women experiencing exploitation/ discrimination at work

Citizenship/ status- Lack of information, women call to be treated as individuals while applying and not dependant of their husbands respect women’s right as human rights- Supreme court ruling how it will affect children and women Cultural respect- Respect for way of life recognise gender specific oppression rape, violence sensitivity of these provide women interviewers/ interpolators Mutual respect in cases of death, birth marriages worship rules and norms that people's carries with them leaving children with 10 yr. old, slapping a child Poverty issues among African families and in Particular African women e,g woman died a year ago due to lack of proper heating could not afford to pay. Childcare,Language barrier, Isolation- Proper measure not yet in place to intergrate migrant women in to the Irish society the law is contrary excluding.

Current interventions - AkiDwA is in receipt of funding to run the following - -Integrated Development education on the subjects of race, gender and cultural diversity (funded by NCDE) -The “Herstory” project which will document and publish experiences of African women (funded by the Ireland Funds) -Training African women to represent (NCDE) building the capacity of African women to be able to speak for themselves