South Asian Conference of Women with Disabilities Organized

Picture Caption: Women With Disabilities Engaging in Group Work in the Cinference

National Federation of the Disabled Nepal convened two days conference of South Asian Network of women with disabilities, at Kathmandu on 14th and 15th July 2014. The key objective of the conference was to bring the South Asian leaders of women with disabilities together to discuss on the different issues of women with disabilities and highlight it in the international forum. The other specific objective of the conference was to form a regional network of South Asian women with disabilities.

The conference had the participation of women leaders with disabilities form Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Srilanka and India. Including national and international women delegates, disability rights activists, expert and volunteer of disability field,  around 80 persons participated the conference. Honorable Nilam K.C. (Khadka), Minister, Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare inaugurated the conference. Addressing the opening session, the minister said “The ministry is always positive and proactive to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities and being also the focal ministry of women it has definitely special responsibility towards women with disabilities.” She further added, “The ministry is keen to implement the UNCRPD and it has almost completed the amendment of disabled protection and welfare act in line with UNCRPD which is now being processed to submit to the parliament.”

Ms Tika Dahal, the chair of the inaugural session and the coordinator of the conference had delivered her key notes about the conference. The inaugural session of the conference was addressed by the Mr. Shudarson Subedi, the president of NFDN, Mr. Birendra Raj Pokhre, Immediate Past President of NFDN, Ms. Rama Dhakal, president of Nepal Disabled Women Association and Mr. Prakash Wagle representative CBM.

The close session of the conference was occupied by different plenary sessions with intensive discussion on seventeen different topics related to the women with disabilities such as gender discrimination, reproductive health, education, health, employment, social security, violence and abuse against women with disabilities etc. were discussed. Different papers were presented by the disability rights activists and women leaders with disabilities and each presentation were followed by open floor discussion. After the two days long workout the conference ended up by issuing the fifteen points Kathmandu Declaration.

Financially the program was supported by Abillis Foundation, Finland, Plan Nepal and Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare.