The Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA) conducted the second two-day training under the activity on strengthening disability-inclusive justice and gender-based violence (GBV) response services, bringing together 59 representatives from key justice and service-providing institutions across Kathmandu Valley. The participants included 20 men and 38 women without disabilities and one woman with a disability, representing the Directorate of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Women, Children and Senior Citizens Cells, community police personnel from all three districts of Kathmandu Valley, and hospital-based One-Stop Crisis Management Centres (OCMCs).
Facilitated by Meena Paudel, Chairperson of NDWA, the training covered disability, disability rights, accessible justice, relevant legal and policy frameworks, and disability-inclusive service provision. The session also introduced NDWA’s work, particularly its programmes for women with disabilities and its advocacy and engagement with relevant stakeholders. Key provisions of the Constitution of Nepal, 2015, the Act Relating to Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2017, and other relevant legal and policy frameworks were discussed.
The training highlighted the barriers women and girls with disabilities face in accessing justice and support services, including limited awareness of their rights, inaccessible physical infrastructure, communication barriers, and safety concerns. Participants discussed the importance of adopting disability-sensitive and inclusive approaches when responding to cases involving women and girls with disabilities.
Through group discussions and plenary sessions, participants identified challenges in their respective areas of work, assessed existing support mechanisms, and developed recommendations to strengthen coordination and referral mechanisms among relevant stakeholders. Discussions emphasized the importance of implementing existing OCMC guidelines and procedures, ensuring accessible service facilities, and strengthening the capacity of service providers to respond to the diverse needs of persons with different types of disabilities.
The OCMC Gender-Based Violence Specialist Counsellor further highlighted the need for disability-friendly services and trained human resources capable of providing appropriate, individualized support to women and girls with disabilities. The training concluded with participants expressing their commitment to applying the knowledge gained in their respective workplaces and working towards more accessible, coordinated, disability-inclusive, and responsive justice and support services.