Surendra Raj Acharya, Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, has stated that the upcoming budget will include provisions for persons with disabilities at three tiers of  government the federal, province and each local levels. Speaking at an interaction organized by the National Assembly’s Committee on Sustainable Development  and Good Governance, in coordination with the Nepal Disabled Women Association, Minister Acharya emphasized the need to address the all SDG’s indicators to improve situation of person with disabilities during an implementation of the SDG’s goals. Minister Acharya emphasized that all the three structures of the government should address the person with disabilities in the upcoming budget.

During the meeting, Secretary Suman Raj Aryal of the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens informed that the ministry is preparing indicators to establish a disability-friendly Nepal.

Kamala Parajuli, Chairperson of the National Women Commission, said that although the National Women Commission is constitutional, due to the lack of resources and provincial offices, women as a whole have not been able to access justice. She highlighted that women with disabilities have been excluded from general services due to the lack of accessible safe houses, birthing centers and One stop Crisis Management Centers(OCMC).

In the meeting, Yashoda Subedi, President of Inter-Party Women’s Network, said that the inadequacy of laws to end gender-based violence, the gaps between the constitution and the law, and the non-implementation of existing laws are very challenging to achieve gender equality according to sustainable development goals.

Member of Parliament Kamala Panta stated that despite having a identity card for different types of disabilities, everyone should receive social security benefits and accessible infrastructure for person with disabilities.

Prakash Pantha, chairman of the Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee, said that the committee is preparing to discuss with the stakeholders in all seven provinces to discuss about sustainable development goals. He said that when the government makes policy programs and budgets, it should be made in such a way that the indicators of sustainable development goals are improved.

During the program, Tika Dahal, Chairperson of the Nepal Disabled Women Association, expressed that although the motto of the Sustainable Development Goals is that no one should be left behind, the Sustainable Development Goals and its indicators do not include person with disabilities. She said that the government should keep disaggregated statistics by addressing the differences in disability.

In the meeting, MPs held the view that investment in education and awareness programs should be increased to end gender-based violence.

The meeting was attended by Minister Surendra Raj Acharya, Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, Chairperson of the National Women Commission Kamala Parajuli, Chairperson of the Inter-Party Women’s Network Yashoda Subedi, along with 14 members of parliament and representatives from OPDs, 43 people participated in the interaction program.