Nepal Disabled Women Association

Reported amount

$240,351

Contribution type

financial

Flow type

Standard

Donor

UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women

Recipient agency

Nepal Disabled Women Association

Destination

Nepal

Plan

Unspecified

Sector

Protection - Gender-Based Violence

Decision date

04 Nov 2024

First reported

01 Apr 2025

Reference

27_44455

Multi-Sector - GBV Programming Nepal ranked 106th in the Gender Inequality Index 2021 and 116th in the Gender Global Gap Index 2023. Women, particularly those in socially and economically marginalized and remote areas, endure high rates of gender-based violence (GBV), with 57.7% reporting emotional (55.2%), physical (34%), and sexual (21.5%) violence over their lifetime (Puri et al., 2015). Madhesh Province in Nepal has the highest Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index and the lowest Human Development Index where alarmingly, 41% of married women aged 15-49 experience physical, sexual, or emotional violence from their husbands, surpassing the national average of 29% (Nepal MICS 2019). Around 2.2% of Nepal's total population has disabilities, with 2% of females and 2.5% of males experiencing some form of disability (CBS 2021). However, actual figures are likely to be higher considering that the WHO estimates that 16% of the global population experiences significant disability (WHO 2023). Two out of three women and girls with disabilities (WGDs) in Nepal face a heightened risk of GBV. The lack of disability-inclusive GBV policies and services puts them at further risk of physical, verbal, and psychological abuse (NFDN 2019). NDWA research in 2020 found women and girls with intellectual disabilities, autism, psychosocial disabilities, visual impairment, hearing impairment, severe physical disabilities, and multiple disabilities particularly vulnerable to GVB. They face additional challenges in accessing justice and government services. A stakeholder consultation conducted by the NDWA in 2024 highlighted the existing government services, including healthcare, security, the justice system, and policies, as inaccessible and insensitive to respond to the specific needs of WGDs and their access to justice. Minors amongst WGDs are particularly vulnerable to violence and face further challenges when reporting and accessing services and justice, as they are not heard within their families, communities, and governments due to age-based discrimination, lack of capacity, and discriminatory culture. The human rights capacity, particularly the rights of WGDs, is limited among civil society organizations (CSOs), organizations of people with disabilities (OPDs), media, women human rights defenders (WHRDs), WGDs, and violence against women and girls (VAWG) survivors with disabilities. Consequently, their advocacy against VAWG is marginal and less effective. In addition, the longstanding human rights issues, including intersecting, and discrimination against WGDs in the private and public spheres make them more vulnerable to violence. The local policies, plans, programs, and infrastructure are not inclusive from the perspectives of human rights and gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) due to the lack of capacity, resources, and accountability of the local, provincial, and federal governments. The Inclusive Governance, Nurturing Independence, and Transforming Environments for Women and Girls with Disabilities WGDs in Nepal (IGNITE) project aims to achieve the following goal and results. a. Goal: Women and girls with disabilities and VAWG survivors with disabilities live a dignified life free from all forms of VAWG in the project municipalities of Madhesh Province by the end of the project. b. Targets: WGDs and VAWG survivors with disabilities among WGDs. c. Results (i) Enhance the capacity of the governments and justice mechanisms, WHRDs, OPDs, media, community groups and networks, and other stakeholders, (ii) Make the policies, programs, infrastructure, and services of the local governments and justice mechanisms GEDSI-inclusive and accessible for WGDs, and (iii) Increase access to justice for VAWG survivors with disabilities. d. Main activities Capacity development, campaign, advocacy and lobbying, GEDSI/Accessibility Audits, laws and policy review, legal aid, logistic and infrastructural support to the VAWG survivors with disabilities and the government and justice mechanisms, research and survey, information dissemination and awareness, counseling, education & sensitization, knowledge management, and organizational capacity development. The priority focus of the project is on the access of WGDs to government services and justice and protection. Thus, the main duty bearers for the project are municipalities, wards, and One-stop Crisis Management Centers (OCMCs) and justice mechanisms such as judicial committees at the municipality and Women, Children and Senior Citizen Service Center (women cell) at the district police offices (DPOs). In addition, the project’s collaboration with the local governments and justice mechanisms contributes to achieving the government’s commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mainly Goal 5, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Project strategies: Community engagement, intersectional-driven, policy advocacy and negotiation, men and boys engagement strategy, community-to-international linkage, and wider collaboration with stakeholders. Geographic coverage: 32 municipalities of all eight districts of Madhesh Province. Project cost: 751,497 USD