More than 7,000 miles from Eugene, Oregon, a Loud, Proud, and Passionate® alumna of MIUSA’s Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD) program is leading the way for stronger disability rights laws in the Gandaki Province of Nepal through formation of a Disability Rights Act.
If you visit the city of Pokhara, Nepal, you may find yourself traveling along the accessible pedestrian path surrounding the well-known Fewa Lake. At the entrance of this path, you will encounter a sign with the words “Access for All” and the logo of Independent Living Center – Pokhara. This is just one example of the many ways Independent Living Center – Pokhara has increased accessibility for people with disabilities in Nepal.
Anjana KC, a 2016 WILD alumna, and the Independent Living Center – Pokhara (CIL-P) team are currently pushing for a Disability Rights Act that the disability community drafted to be passed by their Provincial Government. This Act will strengthen the implementation of the Disability Rights Policy passed in Gandaki Province in 2022.
To support their efforts, MIUSA sent a Technical Assistance team to Pokhara, Nepal from July 20-27, 2024 as part of a ten-month project focused on the formation of this legislation. The MIUSA Technical Team included MIUSA Senior Manager, Lydia Shula; MIUSA Program Specialist, Megan Patrignelli; and disability rights and legislation experts, Susan Henderson and Yumi Sera.
Advocating with Local and Provincial Government
During their time in Pokhara, the U.S. team worked closely with the Independent Living Center – Pokhara to advocate for the critical importance of passing this Draft Act through meetings with provincial and local government officials, parliamentarians, the Ministry of Social Development and Health, and the Mayor of Pokhara City.
As a direct result of these meetings, in which the U.S. team shared strategies and ideas from a U.S. perspective, many government representatives and parliamentarians confirmed their commitments to Independent Living Center – Pokhara to support moving the Act through the required legal processes, in order to ensure the rights of people with disabilities in Gandaki Province are recognized.
As reported by Independent Living Center – Pokhara,
“The meetings were highly productive, demonstrating a shared commitment to fostering an equitable and supportive environment for individuals with disabilities and marking a significant step toward meaningful progress in Gandaki Province.”
Strengthening Networks of Women with Disabilities
One key activity of this U.S. team visit included a capacity building workshop organized specifically for women with disabilities and women parliamentarians to gather together, build new networks of solidarity, and exchange strategies to ensure women with and without disabilities are active leaders in the legislative process. Women with diverse disabilities from different provinces across Nepal joined this workshop, with the goals of learning about the Draft Act in order to better advocate for its passing, and strengthening new and existing relationships between women with disabilities and women parliamentarians.
Led by Anjana and the U.S. team, women with disabilities and parliamentarians engaged in interview-style conversations with one another, sharing about both challenges and strategies for elevating the perspectives of women with disabilities in Nepal. The evening ended with the group enjoying lively music and dancing together, further strengthening the network of women in the room.
Handing Over the Draft Act
The week-long visit culminated with a National Disability Rights Advocacy Strategy Forum on July 25 at Hotel Pauwa in Pokhara, bringing together representatives from across various provinces in Nepal, including disability-led organizations, Parliamentarians who attended the previous day’s women’s workshop, representatives from the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal, and honorable guests including Minister Bindu Kumar Thapa from the Ministry of Social Health and Development.
The Forum kicked off with a ceremonious event in which the President of CIL-Pokhara, Hem Bahadur Gurung, handed over the Draft Act to the Minister of Social Development and Health. At the time of the handover, the Honorable Minister thanked CIL-Pokhara and the Drafting Committee for their work in creating this draft, which will now be continued and finalized through the Ministry.
A ‘Milestone’ Event
CIL-Pokhara described the Forum as a “milestone” event, being that it was the first time that disabled leaders from different provinces were meeting together in the same room to discuss disability rights legislation. One attendee, a woman with a disability, expressed she “wished she lived in Gandaki Province” because of the momentum felt during the National Strategy Forum, but she was committed to take what she learned in Pokhara to her own province.
Following a panel discussion with disabled women leaders, presentations from the U.S. team about disability rights legislation, and the handover of the Draft Act to representatives of the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal from different provinces, many honorable guests gave final remarks and verbal commitments to continue to advocate strongly for the implementation of this Act to recognize the rights of people with disabilities in Nepal.
Although the U.S. team has departed Pokhara, Independent Living Center – Pokhara will continue to lead advocacy efforts for the timely passing and implementation of the Disability Rights Act. With the relationships created and strengthened during this Technical Assistance visit, the disability community in Gandaki Province and their allies are paving the way for disability rights across all of Nepal.
