| The Disability Movement in Nepal |
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Shudarson Subedi
President, DHRC-Nepal |
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The National population census in 2001 reported that 0.45% of the population of Nepal have a disability and the National Planning commission reported 1.63%, having prevalence of disability. In 1981, WHO estimated around 10% (3 million) of the population have a disability. This data did not reflect or include the prevalence of disability as a result of the past 10 year conflict. In short, there is no current accurate data on the prevalence of disability in Nepal and the statistics that are available do not reflect the range of disabilities, in particular mental illness, which in Nepal is still not appropriately categorized with many mentally ill people being sent to prison.
Historically disability movements have only been present in Nepal for the past 40 years. For approximately 26 years only four organisations existed. This was largely due to the strict rules to set up and run social & civil society organisations as they needed authority and promotion from the Royal Palace.
After restoration of democracy, non government organisations mushroomed in 1991; PWD leaders and social workers were established to work across single disability and human rights and develop disability concepts. Most organisations focused on empowering the disability movement. The strength of pressure from Nepal’s civil society and disability movement began to raise awareness and make the issues of the disabled visible.
Today there are positive initiatives in place by different stakeholders for the development of PWDs. The Government of Nepal, national and international civil society sector and disability organisations are working in the field of disability. Special education, inclusive education, CBR program, advocacy awareness and prevention related program and disability and human rights movement are now major advancements. However, most of the programs are only limited to urban areas.
A major concern in Nepal is that despite many good programs, disability is still not recognized as a development agenda as part of the national development and main streaming process. National, international, government and non government organisations are all focusing on the poor and marginalized community, for example women, lower cast and ethnicity minority groups, but very few national and international stakeholders and donors include PWD issues in their policies. Human rights organisations concerned with PWDs issues are frequently excluded from their programs.
The majority of Nepalese society believes "having disabled children is the result of a past fault or punishment of previous life". Due to the lack of awareness, parents feel severely burdened by having disabled children and prefer to send their children to an orphanage center rather than keep them with them. The majority of PWDs are excluded from primary level education and also health care mainly due to the cost of treatment.
To overcome the problem Nepal developed a special policy and legislation for PWDs. Sadly most of the provisions made are not being implemented and within the provisions there remain discriminatory practices. Nepal has ratified 7 international conventions and more recently in January 2008 the Nepal Government signed up to the UNCRPD, but it has not ratified this Convention.
Nepal is moving towards a new political situation through restructuring the nation’s political process. Recently a popular Constituent Assembly was elected. This opportunity was secured by a popular revolutionary movement public mandate of April 2006. After nearly 250 years the monarchy rule is going to end. PWDs have played a key role and political parties have finally included disabled people’s issue in their manifesto for the constitution assembly. However, after the constitution assembly was successfully completed only one disabled person among the total of 601 received the chance to become a member. But as a disability and human rights defender and also physically challenged person my self, I am optimistic for the future.
In the past 10 years disability issues are coming to the front line. Private corporate, government and civil society sector are beginning to raise PWDs issues. The changes we can see over the past 10 years are contributing to an emerging disability movement and the concept and practice of working together. We have a golden opportunity in front of us to put PWDs issues on the agenda within the new constitution.
It is essential to build the PWDs capacity within Nepal for the Protection and promotion of the rights of PWDs. All national and international stakeholders need to place pressure on the Nepal government and political parties to include PWDs issues in the new constitution as a fundamental right. Nepalese Civil society and the government sector need more support to expand the best practices and grab the opportunity created by the new political situation. |
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