In Pokhara, Nepal, MIUSA alumna Anjana K.C. and her team at Independent Living Centre – Pokhara (CIL-P) are leading advocacy efforts for the formulation of a Disability Rights Act in Gandaki Province. Independent Living Centre – Pokhara, a disability-led non-governmental organization who has been at the forefront of advancing disability rights in Nepal, has been working with MIUSA to further these efforts.
While the government of Gandaki Province passed the Provincial Policy on Disability in 2022, legislation has not yet been formulated for implementation of this policy. Anjana and her team want to change this, and they have been mobilizing the disability community through meetings and trainings to advocate for the implementation and enforcement of this law.
Training Disabled Leaders on Enforcing Policy
Across all 11 districts of Gandaki Province, Independent Living Centre – Pokhara has prepared local disabled people’s organizations (DPOs) and disabled community members to advocate for enforcement of disability rights laws. In one two-day Disability Rights Advocacy Training, they trained 58 disability rights leaders in Gandaki Province on the law-making process, human rights-based approaches, and strategies for policy implementation.
Mobilizing a Drafting Committee
In addition to training disabled leaders, the team at CIL-P mobilized a Drafting Committee to begin formulation of a Disability Rights Act to guide implementation of the Gandaki Provincial Policy. The drafting Committee includes representatives from local disability organizations and legal associations, and will include input from stakeholders on priority issues and content. The Committee plans to present the draft Act to local government in coordination with their advocacy efforts.
In July 2024, MIUSA will lead a U.S. Technical Team to Nepal for a field visit in Pokhara. During this visit, U.S. disability policy advocacy experts will meet with the Drafting Committee members, share considerations for the draft Act, assist with capacity building trainings, and meet with local stakeholders in disability organizations and government offices.
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