Through its community paralegals, the Disability Empowerment Centre (DEC Nepal) received a report of violence against a woman with a disability in February 2014. The victims and their families were taken to the Naubasta Municipality police station, but regrettably, the victim herself was unable to get there because of the office’s inaccessible physical infrastructure. Following an investigation, DEC Nepal found that Banke’s people with disabilities (PwDs) faced a variety of barriers to acquiring public services, including inaccessible infrastructure, services, roadways, and discriminatory attitudes from service providers.
The demand for accessible services by DEC Nepal revealed that the local government neither had data, plans, policies, programs nor budgets to meet the needs of PwDs. World over organizations and countries were adopting measures to meet the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, neither the community people nor government officials at the local level were aware of the SDGs or Goal 16.
UN SDG 16
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
The demand for accessible services by DEC Nepal revealed that the local government neither had data, plans, policies, programs nor budgets to meet the needs of PwDs. World over organizations and countries were adopting measures to meet the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, neither the community people nor government officials at the local level were aware of the SDGs or Goal 16.
In Nepal, the Alliance for Social Dialogue (ASD) initiated a nationwide campaign to incorporate Goal 16, centered on peace, justice, and inclusive institutions, as a distinct objective in the local governmental framework. However, localizing the SDG was fraught with difficulties in light of the recent establishment of federal structures, coupled with a dearth of data and evidence.
ASD collaborated with DEC Nepal and engaged with disability organizations to explore avenues for adapting SDG to address the needs of PwDs in the context of their rights and developmental aspirations. A survey was conducted to identify the requirements for PwDs covering various justice-related aspects, including access to public services, legal empowerment, the ability to seek remedies and legal services spanning health, employment, education, physical accessibility, assistive devices, and other critical areas. ASD and DEC Nepal presented their findings to the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare. In response, the Ministry established a Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) comprising 17 ministries, civil society organizations (CSOs), Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs), and donors working on disability rights. DEC Nepal led and coordinated the JMC meetings. With technical support from ASD and DEC Nepal, the Ministry conducted numerous workshops, consultations, meetings, and interactions concerning the survey report. A comprehensive questionnaire was developed considering the Disability Friendly Local Governance (DFLG) indicators, and a National Consultation Workshop was conducted to garner feedback and stakeholder support. The questionnaire was made accessible for all categories of people with disabilities, and based on the feedback received, necessary amendments were made.
Mobilizing local campaigners to facilitate the implementation of the recently endorsed DFLG posed a formidable challenge. ASD extended support to the DEC for coordination with grassroots-level campaigners. These activists, who had demonstrated a high degree of involvement in the local government’s planning processes, were entrusted with liaisoning with the local government and advocating for plans and budgets based on the indicators of disability-friendly local governance. Moreover, they urged the establishment of a monitoring mechanism to ensure the proper execution of the DFLG within government services.
As a result of our sustained advocacy efforts, Baijnath Rural Municipality, Nepalgunj, and Tulsipur sub-metropolitan city of Dang district decided to prioritize disability-friendly local governance indicators and allocated requisite budgets. Following the endorsement of disability-inclusive indicators by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW), we piloted the model in Banke and Shyangja and showcased it at the state and federal levels to sensitize and influence other provinces to adopt it. DEC Nepal organized seven state-level consultations and a workshop on the indicators, where we sought feedback from provincial governments, CSOs, stakeholders, and DPOs regarding the applicability of the DFLG indicators. Orientations were conducted in Udaypur, Saptari, Syangja, Dailekh, Janakpur, Kailali, Lalitpur, and Kathmandu, primarily focusing on sensitizing participants to disability-inclusive development indicators, creating an environment for inclusive development in municipalities, and developing disability-friendly plans. The DFLG indicators were adopted by all seven provinces and local governments through their respective municipal boards in 2018. This accomplishment culminated in a regular engagement for advocacy and coordination with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MOFALD). The adoption of the DFLG indicators by MOFALD was a significant milestone, as it paved the way for their implementation across all seven provinces.
This movement paved the way for a new, inclusive future for PwDs in Nepal.
