Dewi Tjakrawinata is the founder of YAPESDI (Yayasan Peduli Sindroma Down Indonesia, or Down Syndrome Care Foundation Indonesia), a Jakarta-based non-profit organization that empowers youths with intellectual disabilities to become self-advocates. Together with her son, disability self-advocate Morgan Maze hosts weekly classes, titled ‘Let's Speak Up!’, for young people with Down Syndrome to teach soft skills that can rebuild their self-confidence, to help them understand their rights, and to teach them to be active citizens. Dewi is also a women’s human rights defender and previously co-founded the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Working Group Indonesia and Aliansi Pelangi Antar Bangsa (APAB), a network that advocates for, and monitors implementation of, the law on Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia (number 12, 2006). Dewi is also a leading member of Jaringan Kerja Prolegnas (Program Legislasi Nasional) Pro Perempuan, a network that provides oversight of existing and draft legislation to ensure compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Dewi Tjakrawinata will participate in the World Justice Forum working session Access to Justice for Women With Intellectual and Psychosocial Disabilities