“The Empower Haitian Women Organization’s Ambitious ‘Woman and Creation’ project Announced to the Public”

Being dedicated for the last 5 years to the empowerment of disabled Haitian women, the Empower Haitian Women Organization (EHWO), led by Doudly Elius, the first Haitian winner of the 2014 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund prize and the 2016 Alumni Impact Award winner, presented the ambitious "Woman and Creation" project’s large innovations at a conference organized by Vwajenes on the initiative of InnovPap, Saturday March 17, 2017 at the French Institute of Haiti.

View of participants including all initiatives of Innov'Pap at the French Institute of Haiti

The project "Woman and Creation" retained the attention of around one hundred young women and men, listening to EHWO’s Communication Advisor, Stéphania Musset, who outlined the project’s goals.

Without wanting to reduce the participants chance to interject, Mrs. Musset asked: "How many disabled high level professionals or entrepreneur do you know in Haiti?" Mrs. Musset, well versed in the subject, listed several inventions and innovations created by disabled Haitian women.

Stéphania Musset, EHWO communication advisor
at her elavator pitch

Considering the sustainable development goals, "Woman and Creation", is, as we read in the press note, a training workshop on crafts and contributes directly to the objectives 4, 10 and 12, aiming respectively at a "Quality education," "Inequality reduction," and "Responsible consumption and production" by some recycling technical and waste plastic valuation. Additionally addressed was a revaluation of "Decent work and economic growth" by commercialization of the articles and through participants’ entrepreneurship. Lastly, and most importantly, the project promotes “Gender equality,” according to objectives 5 and 8.

In the wake of questions, the public was asking itself how the "Woman and Creation" project could touch as many areas and address as many crucial problems faced by disabled women in Haiti, addressing the main and vital question of women living with disabilities empowerment.

Mrs. Musset observed, lamenting: "You and I have built a world that meets our needs, a society which cares about our concerns. You and I have built an unfair world, where the people with special needs, more than 10% of the population, aren't welcome." She was saddened that people talked as unique example about folks working in centers or institutions specifically made for the disabled person to the original asked question. Some refer to the rehabilitation center, others to the Secretariat of Disabled Person or the Federation of People living with disabilities, we noticed.

As a social communicator, Mrs. Musset was fit to challenge the attendees’ conscience in the form of questioning. She asked, “Are we going to spend our lives locking these people in boxes marked ‘special’ and ‘fragile’?” .“Will our current infrastructure continue to be a barrier to education, training, employment, active participation in social life for the disabled, especially for women and girls?” The "Woman and Creation" project is in accordance with the EHWO mission, aiming to remind the participants to pursue their ingenuity and value.

The "Woman and Creation" project sees itself as a social and financial inclusion project for disabled women. This innovating project, as Elius described it, aims to dispel old beliefs about disabled people and instead allow them to assert themselves as deciders, their own actors of change and development by the triple dynamic of integration, participation and community involvement.

As a Toastmaster and 2014 Elaniste, Elius believes that training women in financial education and project design will boost the advocacy work done by EHWO within the Haitian society, according to this project.

Living with a disability, the EHWO founder, Elius Doudly, shared that his dream is to transform his disability into intellectual and emancipatory weapon to strengthen autonomy, independence, and economic opportunity for disabled women.

He said he is shocked to see Haitian women living with disabilities, full of potential but are forced to stay cloistered at home because no one recognizes their constitutionally guaranteed rights. He cited article 32.8 which states: "The State guarantees people living with disability, protection, education, and any other necessary means to their full development and their integration or reintegration in society".

In the same spirit, Marc Alain Boucicault, the Elan Haiti General Coordinator and One Young World Ambassador, also participated in the conference and addressed the public with a determined tone: "Be shocked and find a solution to those emotions."

The InnovPap organizers, said that the "Woman and creation" project, has been among a list of six (6) projects presented to the public. They see this initiative as an incitative for the young grouped into association or not, to design projects according to the sustainable development objectives.

From left to right-Amos Etienne (EHWO training officer), Marcna Andy Pierre (EHWO Program Officer), Marc Alain Bouscicault (Elan Haiti General Coordinnator), Stephanie Lamarre (InnovPap Organizer and Elanist 2016), Stephania Musset et Nicolson Jean Georges (EHWO Program Officer)