About NKJT
About Nationell kvinnojour och stöd på teckenspråk, NKJT – Swedish Women’s Shelter and Support in Sign Language
Nationell kvinnojour och stöd på teckenspråk, NKJT is a Swedish non-governmental organisation, founded in 2019.
NKJT arose during (or as a result of) the #metoo movement in 2017 and #slådövörattill. The appeal #slådövörattill had a great impact on our target group of deaf, hard-of-hearing and deaf-blind women, non-binary and young girls aged 15 and up.
The appeal #slådövörattill received attention in the media on December 3, 2017. Included in the appeal were three demands that we consider to be fundamental for a functioning society:
- Functional sign language support throughout the country.
- In the work to produce knowledge and in the development to improve and protect the vulnerable, our target groups must be included.
- The culture of silence within the deaf community must be broken.
Professional support in sign language
NKJT offers professional support in sign language to Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deafblind women, non-binary individuals, children, and young people who have experienced violence or abuse.
NKJT provides the following key services:
- Online chats in sign language via video or text, available twice a week at chatt.nkjt.se for adults and boujt.se for children and young people aged 6–21.
- Counselling support in sign language, including individual support sessions, assistance in contacting healthcare, community services, and public authorities, as well as guidance when reporting to the police and during legal proceedings.
- Group meetings in sign language with other survivors of violence, led by NKJT counsellors.
- Safe housing in a sign language-accessible environment, in collaboration with social services.
We make the world better for children and adults who use sign language—every day.
About BOUJT
About Barn- och ungdomsjour på teckenspråk, BOUJT – National Children and Youth Support Service in Sign Language
The National Children and Youth Support Service in Sign Language (BOUJT) was launched in 2017 as a project funded by the Swedish Inheritance Fund (Arvsfonden) and later received additional funding, including support from the World Childhood Foundation. Since January 1, 2024, BOUJT is part of the Swedish Women’s Shelter and Support in Sign Language (NKJT). Currently, BOUJT operates without dedicated funding.
BOUJT was initiated following a 2015 pre-study conducted by the Swedish National Association of the Deaf Youth (SDU), which highlighted a significant lack of accessible support services in Swedish Sign Language for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and young people.
What Makes BOUJT Unique?
BOUJT provides the following support services:
- Online chats in sign language via video or text, available two evenings a week at boujt.se. Children and young people can choose to call us directly from their mobile phone, tablet or computer.
- Anonymous Question Box where kids and youth can post questions anonymously and we answer on the website.
- Support through e-mail.
Online chats in sign language ensures that deaf and hard-of-hearing children and young people can freely express their thoughts and feelings in their first language—Swedish Sign Language. While other support services exist for children and youth, BOUJT is the only helpline in Sweden that provides video-based support in sign language. At the same time, children and youth can choose to use text chat instead if they prefer.
All volunteers at BOUJT are deaf or hard-of-hearing and are fully fluent in Swedish Sign Language. Lived experience of deafness or hearing loss is a key competence in our work—our volunteers have cultural knowledge and understanding. This means those who contact us do not need to explain what it is like to be deaf or hard-of-hearing—they can immediately focus on what they want to talk about. BOUJT provides a safe space where young people can communicate freely in sign language, without having to rely on written Swedish, which is often their second language.
BOUJT also plays a crucial role for children and young people who do not have access to sign language at home—for example, when parents or siblings do not use sign language.
WFD Pre-Conference about strengthening gender diversity 2025
“Strengthening Gender Diversity in Deaf Organizations”
Federation of Deaf Women Empowerment Network – Kenya and Swedish Women’s Shelter and Support in Sign Language, NKJT
Nairobi, Kenya 10-11 August 2025
The WFD Pre-Conference seeks to address challenges and identify opportunities in accelerating gender equality and empowerment of deaf women.
Objectives
- Gather preliminary data and information on the regional contexts of the experiences of Deaf women.
- Raise awareness on gender issues among members of the WFD (national associations of the deaf).
- Build knowledge and share tools needed to work within gender issues and increase representation of deaf women in national associations of the deaf.
Mia Modig, NKJT Executive Director
mia.modig@nationellkvinnojour.se
Seminar 26 May 2023
“Deaf People's Right to Community Support”
Swedish National Association of the Deaf, SDR and European Union of the Deaf, EUD
Stockholm, Sweden
Mia Modig, NKJT Executive manager
mia.modig@nationellkvinnojour.se
More information
- EDF proposal for amendment to the directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence
- Banning forced sterilisation
- EU Legislation in Progess Combating violence against women and domestic violence
- Petition to promote Humain Rights for Deaf Women around Europe
- Report 2nd Deaf Women European Forum 21-22 October 2021
- The report “A kafkaesque process”
NKJT VODD in International Sign
International Week of the Deaf People 2022 takes place between 19-25 September. And to meet the great international interest in our organisation. Thereforce, Swedish Women’s Shelter and Support in Sign Language, NKJT publishes a new VODD in International Sign (IS) with English subtitles.
Speech/audio is unfortunately not available in this film, but if you want to read what we discussed in the vodd in text form, we have a text transcription below.
The report “A kafkaesque process”
In November 2021, Swedish Women’s Shelter and Support in Sign Language, NKJT publishes a report:
“A kafkaesque process – a survey of how Swedish authorities treat victims of violence who are Deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind women and young girls as well as non-binary persons.“
Mia Modig, executive manager – mia.modig@nationellkvinnojour.se
Felicia Ferreira, counselor – felicia@nationellkvinnojour.se
