Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA) organized a follow-up advocacy meeting with parliamentarians on the role of policymakers in implementing laws and policies to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities in Kathmandu on January 29, 2024, in collaboration with CBM Global.

In the Interaction program, Roshan Karki, a member of parliament, says that the representation of persons with disabilities in the policy-making process should ensure their rights. She added that political parties should have quotas for them in all kinds of party central committees, and they should have to include people with disabilities in the election processes. She emphasizes that the issues of persons with disabilities are cross-cutting issues, so the government should be sensitive to address their concerns in every law and policy to ensure their rights.

She also committed that she would raise the issues of persons with disabilities in a Bill to Amend and Consolidate the Laws relating to Elections, which will be discussed in a parliament committee soon.

Nagina Yadav, a member of parliament, suggested making an expert group that can continue to feed and inform policymakers of their concerns.

Prakash Pantha, a member of parliament of the National Assembly, informed that to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities, he brought the resolution proposal and put in place binding arrangements at various levels to ensure its implementation. Even though his 6-year term in the National Assembly is over, he promised to play a coordinating role as a bridge for the implementation of policies to raise the issue of disability at the policy level through the party in the coming days.

Laxmi Ghimire, a member of the parliament of Bagmati Province, suggested organizing a sensitization program for the province as well.

Leaders of OPDs suggested to policymakers that they should focus on and give priority to the implementation of policies to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities.

Tika Dahal, chairperson of NDWA, said the organization will continue to advocate for policymaking and implementation in the coming days.

In the program Monitoring, Learning, and Documentation, the officer presented the commitment of policymakers, which they showed in the earlier interaction organized by NDWA with them.

Twenty participants have participated, including five members of parliament and OPD leaders.