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The Sustainable Development Goals in Nepal
Nepal committed to the SDGs early on, and this commitment has been reaffirmed in key policy documents, such as the current 15th Development Plan and the 25 Year Long-Term Vision 2100 that internalises the Goals. SDGs codes are assigned for all national development programmes through the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. Further, Nepal has prepared the SDG Status and Roadmap to localize the SDG indicators with baselines and targets for 2030. Other key documents are a SDGs Needs Assessment, a Costing and Financing Strategy, and additional SDGs Localization Guidelines. Finally, Nepal has conducted a Development Finance Assessment (DFA) to provide an overview of development finance flows and institutions and policies that can align finance with national development priorities. These are the goals the UN is working on in Nepal:
Story
03 July 2023
UN Nepal Piloting PSEA Integration into Development Programming and UNSDCF Implementation
To prevent Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) at all levels and to ensure SEA is addressed as the top priority, the PSEA co-chairs in Nepal-UN Resident Coordinator Office and UN Women with the support from WHO- organized the first of its kind workshop on June 21-22 for the UN agency key focal points to capacitate them to integrate PSEA into the UN Sustainable Cooperation Framework (CF).
The workshop piloted by the UN in Nepal brought together 32 participants from the PSEA Working Group and the CF Outcome Working Groups. Jointly the participants identified opportunities for PSEA to inform and be integrated into CF outcomes, processes, and tools. The participants also prioritised a set of key actions and recommendations for the Outcome Working Groups, PSEA Network and the UNCT.
The 1.5-day workshop was facilitated by Lian Yong, Asia Pacific inter-agency PSEA Coordinator, together with Tej Maya Dangol, Nepal PSEA Coordinator and UN RCO and UN Women staff members.
Feedback from the workshop was positive, as it enabled key agency focal points time and space to think deeply about opportunities within their own agencies as well as collectively for the UNCT.
Lessons learned from this workshop will be taken and applied both at the regional Asia/Pacific level as well as globally. It is hoped that this pilot can be replicated in other contexts supporting the UN’s move from PSEA at the policy level to concrete actions at the ground level.
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Press Release
03 December 2020
Oped : The challenges people with disabilities face
Richard Howard
The year 2020 has thrown unprecedented challenges at all of us, both in Nepal and globally. The pandemic has also impacted people disproportionally. Persons with disabilities that make up 15 percent of the world population, or one billion, are among the hardest hit by Covid-19. One in every five women is likely to experience disability in her life, while one in every 10 children is living with a disability. Of the one billion population of persons with disabilities, 80 percent live in developing countries. These numbers provide a backdrop for thinking about our response to Covid-19 and how we make a dedicated effort to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind. We must ensure their inclusion in our response and recovery efforts.
Some disabilities are not visible. Chronic pain, mental illness, chronic fatigue are a few types of invisible disabilities that control people’s lives but do not show in obvious ways. These are people who are regularly told that their disabilities are not real, are made up for sympathy or only imagined and could not possibly be a real medical condition since they walk free from canes or crutches, have functioning limbs, and can seemingly move their bodies just like the rest of us. Society needs to be built so that it is accessible to everyone, including those with less visible disabilities.
Nepali society, like most societies, should promote greater understanding and increased accessibility for people with disabilities, who are often treated differently or excluded from the opportunities and conversations open to others. They are pressed to navigate a world that is not built for them. Kindness, compassion and consideration are a good start to ensure that we see and support those who may struggle and suffer in normal times and in times of crisis.
When this pandemic passes, the world must be a different place, and it is a chance to reimagine a society in which people with disabilities have better lives; where they do not have to fight to be seen and included, and where they are not merely an afterthought. People with disabilities should participate in our response and recovery from Covid-19 at all stages, and they should hold us accountable to deliver on our promises.
On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I hope that we can all begin to envision a society that everyone can participate in, one that changes how we see and interact with disabilities as equal partners, particularly those with invisible disabilities. It is a chance to build back better and challenge inequalities at every step.
A big step in the right direction is to break the silence, speak up and wipe away the biases held against people with disabilities, to banish the stereotypes, and slowly dissipate the stigma facing people with disabilities. These changes start with each of us making a commitment. There are myriad ways in which the world can transform to remove obstacles for people with disabilities to access the opportunities the rest have, from access to economic opportunity and healthy workspaces to accessible infrastructure and health services.
Richard Howard
Howard is the UN Resident Coordinator ad interim in Nepal and is the Director of ILO Nepal
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Story
12 October 2020
Young Girls in rural Nepal are choosing early marriage to escape poverty and discrimination
The zinc sheet roofs, mud huts and wooden pillars of Namuna Basti shows poverty reigns. Namuna Basti is a labyrinth of lanes with 55 closely packed housing units inhabited by impoverished Badi community- the poorest and most marginalized groups (Dalits) in Nepal who are also considered the “untouchables”. It lies just out of eyesight from the nearest bigger town in the Karnali Province. In the community, young women with children are a common sight. About 90 percent of the women from Namuna Basti are married before the age of 20, which speaks to the alarming prevalence of child marriage here.
An Arial view of Namuna Basti.
Child marriage in Nepal is driven by a complex web of factors., Key among them is caste-based and gender-based discrimination, especially when combined with poverty.
In Nepal’s rural communities, parents often choose marriage for girls because, once married, daughters customarily leave their homes to enter into their husbands’ household and cannot financially support their parents like their sons. It leads families to prioritize education and even basic survival needs, such as food, for boys over girls, which is one of the reasons why child brides and their children are more likely to be malnourished.
Due to the existence of a deeply embedded patriarchal norms and unequal power relations, Nepal has a high prevalence of deeply-rooted traditional practices such as caste-based discrimination, chhaupadi and menstrual restrictions, child marriage, dowry, and witchcraft accusation and persecution. These practices often create significant barriers to the realization of human rights, particularly for women and persons from excluded groups. Despite significant advances in legislative and policy frameworks made over the past few years, these practices continue to pervade in Nepal.
In 2018, in recognition of these practices being barriers to realizing the UN’s commitments to Agenda 2030 and the principle of Leaving No One Behind, the United Nations Country Team in Nepal with the support of DCO innovation funds carried out a Perception Survey on five of the above-mentioned practices. The survey, conducted in 16 districts within Province 2, 6 and 7 covering 4,000 respondents, was led by the United Nations Resident Coordinators Office in Nepal.
Rama (name changed), a 22-year-old girl from Namuna Basti was born into a Badi family. Due to poverty her parents could not afford her education. She started working in India as a full-time maid at the age of 13.
She had to spend more than 12 hours a day doing household chores, and she was desperately looking for an escape from her everyday hardship. With the hope to live a better life, seven years ago, she married the person she loved at the age of 15, despite the minimum age requirement for marriage being 20 years old under the Nepali Law. Her husband was 25
Rama’s husband belonged to the so called “upper-caste” Kshetriyas (also called Chhetris). In Nepal, the influence of caste — a social order rooted in Hindu scriptures and based on an identity determined at birth — cannot be disregarded.
In the perception of caste hierarchy, Brahmins and Chhetris remain at the top and Dalits, who make up almost 13.6 percent of Nepal’s population of more than 27.33 Million, are at the bottom. Due to this perceived hierarchy, discrimination based on caste remains pervasive. From the Perception Survey carried out by the UN, among the 4,000 respondents from 16 districts, 97% indicated that they have accepted the prevalence of caste-based discrimination in their locality.
Following their marriage, Rama returned to Nepal with her husband and began living with her in-laws. Being a Dalit woman, Rama was at high risk of experiencing both caste- and gender-based discrimination at her husband’s house. Fortunately, however, Rama’s husband protected her and facilitated her to be accepted as a member of the family.
Rama became pregnant almost immediately after her marriage. Knowing that pregnancy could be risky for Rama at her young age, her husband insisted to abort the baby. But she remained adamant and gave birth to their first child when she was just 16.
Within just five years of her marriage, her life took an unexpected turn, when a tragic road accident killed her husband.
Following the death of her husband, her in-laws began verbally abusing her and forced her to work endlessly. Rama left her husband’s house along with her children and began living with her mother in Namuna Basti.
Rama is now a 22-year-old widow and is a sole bread winner for her family. With poverty, lack of education and discrimination based on her caste that she faces every day, giving a decent life to her children is a constant struggle.
In the same Basti, Seema Badi (name changed) lives two houses apart from Rama. Seema, just like Rama, is a child bride who chose to get married on her own. She eloped with her boyfriend, who was two-class senior to her in school, when she just became a teenager.
Her mother initially brought Seema back from her boyfriend’s house and asked her to focus on her education and wait until she gained some maturity. To her mother’s dismay, Seema left the house for the second time to be with her boyfriend.
And what drove her to do that?
“To escape from poverty, discriminatory social norms and a desire to avoid a forced marriage to a stranger” was her answer.
“My mother was giving birth every other year. I had to support her either by babysitting my siblings or supporting the household chores. At school, I faced discrimination from my peers and my teachers for being a ‘Badi girl’” lamented Seema.
Recalling one of the incidents in school she said, “one day a big commotion took place in my class when I accidently touched my classmate’s tiffin box. Since she belonged to the upper-caste, my teacher thrashed me in front of my peers. That very moment, I lost faith in our education system and I tore my books in front of my teacher and left the class. I never returned to the class again.”
Seema, who is 21 and a mother of an 8-year-old girl, shares she is content with her present life. Her husband is working in the gulf country to make the ends meet for the family and pay for their daughter’s education.
“Together Forever” says Seema with happiness as she shows the initials of her husband and daughter's name inked on her left hand.
She however feels she could have achieved more had she listened to her mother and not eloped for the second time. But the societal pressure was one of the factors that constrained her from staying with her mother. “The rumor about me eloping with my boyfriend has already spread in the community. So, the only choice I had was to go back to the person I love because no one would have accepted me as a wife later,” shared Seema.
Seema does not want her daughter to repeat her same mistakes. She wants to invest in her daughter’s education so that her daughter can achieve her full potential. But the growing trend of voluntary “love marriages” among teenage children in marginalized communities, often prompted by the desire to escape poverty and discrimination, scares Seema.
Seema’s fear is not unfounded. The Perception Survey showed that 90% of the 4,000 respondents acknowledge that voluntary love marriage (Bhagi Bibaha) among minors is prevalent in their locality, while 19% indicated the continued prevalence of an arranged marriage (Magi Bibaha) among minors.
According to UNICEF, 15 million girls are married as children globally each year and Nepal has the third highest rate of child marriage in Asia, after Bangladesh and India.
The trend of young girls like Seema and Rama choosing early love marriage to cope with poverty and discrimination not only exposes them to a vicious cycle of inequality and insecurity, but also perpetuates the practice of child marriage, creating an obstacle to global development.
A 19-year-old girl from Dailekh district with her two children.
Child marriage is a core development and human rights issue which is directly linked with eight of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are Goals 1 (poverty), 2 (food security), 3 (health), 4 (education), 5 (gender equality), 8 (economic growth), 10 (inequality), and 16 (peace). Ending child marriage and investing more into the child’s future is therefore an indispensable responsibility of Nepal to ensure that it fully achieves the SDGs.
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Story
29 September 2023
From where I stand: “Do not wait for others to hand you your rights”
Her drive to fight for those rights comes from growing up in the far west of the country with a physical disability herself.
My lived experience as a woman with a disability is what drove me to become a disability rights activist. I grew upwatching society discriminate, insult, and shut away people with disabilities. Determined to overcome theseinjustices, I knew that a community was only as strong as its members who are furthest behind.
When I first started working on the rights of persons with disabilities, I found it difficult to speak up: I couldnot express myself well, I hesitated to talk in public. However, little by little, I gained confidence and learnedto raise my voice.
It is with this voice I say:
To women with disabilities: We have rights, and we must demand these rights. Do not wait for others to give you yourrights, take them yourself. Actively participate in life and advocate for yourself. I am with you – I will notstop working to increase public awareness of your rights, I will advocate for your participation in society, I willsupport you to pursue opportunities to generate income and be independent. We are equal as individuals, and powerfulwhen we speak with a united voice. Put your hesitations aside, and know that behind you is the strength of womenwith disabilities everywhere.
To the community: We can be stronger if we worked together. We, people with disabilities, know that we can contributeto the community, just as abled persons contribute. The difference between women and women with disabilities is inthe way that you treat us – there is no difference in terms of the value of our contributions. Let us worktogether to realise and recognize the contribution of persons with disabilities, and to put an end to shame andsilencing. Only when we work together can the community move forward together.
To the parents, guardians, and caretakers of children with disabilities: Let’s empower the next generation ofpersons with disabilities through education. Government and private schools allocate scholarships for children withdisabilities. I am advocating with schools to ensure these scholarships are realized. Talk to your local schoolabout enrolling your child and getting them involved in school clubs. As a mother, guardian and caretaker myself, Iknow it is hard to see your child leave the home, especially if they have special needs. But the education yourchild will receive and friendships they will make will carry them forward in the future.
To the government: Take additional measure to provide women with disabilities with legal identity cards, for this isthe key to accessing government services and support. Identity cards are doubly important for women withdisabilities as they have a greater reliance on government services and support, such as healthcare, subsidies,legal aid, and more, due to their lower income and ability to afford alternative services. Additionally, ensurebudgets are allocated and spent in support of persons with disabilities. Don’t think that we don’t knowabout the policies and programmes – we know them very well.
For my part, I will continue to fight for the rights of persons with disabilities, and to promote awareness andunderstanding within communities. Yesterday, people feared telling others they are living with a disability; familymembers hesitated to support relatives with a disability to participate in festivals and weddings; and societyside-lined persons with disability from participating in community life. Tomorrow is a new day, and anotheropportunity to move forward in support of a new lived experience for women with disabilities; one that is just, fullof opportunity, and celebrates everyone’s contribution, no matter their ability.
UN Women with support from the Government of Finland and United Nation Partnerships on the Rights of Persons withDisabilities has been supporting gender-responsive and inclusive sub-national governance in Nepal’sSudurpaschim Province. Sharada Bista was a participant of this initiative.
UN Women promotes the rights of women with disabilities, in line with the United Nations Convention on theElimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Conventiononthe Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other multilateral agreements. The InternationalPrinciples and Guidelines on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities were developed by theOffice ofthe United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and have been endorsed by the International Commission ofJurists and the International Disability Alliance.
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Story
29 September 2023
LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF: REFLECTIONS OF A BISEXUAL DALIT WOMAN
Dear M,
It will take some time for us to understand and become aware of our identities. You see, we have multiple identities. You are Dalit. You are female. You are bisexual. After completing your master’s degree, you also develop an interest in writing, in exploring your personal identity – this letter shares some of your experiences.
You belong to the Dalit community and will experience different levels of disparity from childhood to adulthood. People will start treating us differently when they realize our caste. As a female, you will face disparities in school and in the village. As a bisexual, you will also face many difficulties. All these multiple identities, and the experiences that come with them, will lead to a lot of mental health difficulties.
We are still not very open about our sexual orientation. You will feel like nobody really understands bisexual orientation at school. All your friends express attraction towards the opposite gender. But you are attracted to both girls and boys, and you didn’t tell anyone out of fear. Later, when you start to express your orientation, you will face some challenges in college. While you are studying for your bachelor’s degree, you will get a proposal for marriage. But you find yourself struggling with your feelings, so you make an excuse that you need some time before marriage. This will be a difficult decision to make. Then, during your master’s degree, you will tell your friend about your sexual orientation, and she will stop speaking to you for three years. She didn’t understand then, but later she will join a social organization where she learns about gender issues – now she behaves normally with us. Until now, our family is still unaware about our sexual orientation. We have also not told them. I don’t know why.
I want to tell you a story. You had a heterosexual friend who you were close with a few years back and were working on a group project with, along with two to three other friends. You will try to share your sexual orientation with the group but will be unable to because of their negative perceptions of LGBTIQ+ people. A few months later, you will be in a small gathering. At that gathering, your heterosexual friend will propose to you in front of our other friends. It will be very awkward. But you will go speak privately with him and share everything about your sexual orientation. But he won’t believe your words and request you to change yourself. You will want to go far away from that place. This incident will mentally torture you a lot.
Based on your experience, you believe every LGBTIQ+ person faces some form of violence. You will experience psychological violence. Sometimes, when you post photos from events and say that you work with LGBTIQ+ communities, people will send you abusive messages. But others face physical violence too and get beaten up and thrown out of their homes by their own family members. There are even some rape cases or acts of sexual violence. Despite working and trying, things are still not so easy. But we will continue.
Yours warmly,
M
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Story
29 September 2023
UN Volunteer is role-model for equality in Nepal
As the youth focal point of UNDP Nepal, Binita Karki, UN Volunteer Youth Programme Officer, works closely with youth-led organizations and young people from across Nepal. Her approach of working with and for youth, and on topics like gender equality ensures sustainable development reaches the farthest left behind.
Youth-led organizations consider youth issues a crosscutting theme in sustainable development. One example is UNDP Nepal’s My Way, Green Way campaign. Campaign organizers distribute bicycles to young girls in various parts of Nepal to provide easy and independent transport to and from school. A mobile application has also been launched that incentivizes bicycle use per kilometer.
Another example at UNDP Nepal is a nationwide digital campaign, "Sachetana: Our Health, Our Responsibility". Together with a youth-led organization Maina Devi Foundation, people were taught about health care waste management. The campaign mobilized 300 volunteers from all over the country. The project included 55 percent female volunteers and 30 percent volunteers from marginalized communities, including 20 LGBTIQA+ individuals, 15 persons with disability, and 53 individuals belonging to ethnic minorities. UNDP Nepal's Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor delivered a session on gender and inclusion to the selected volunteers to further encourage them to respect diversity.
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) is not an option for us, but a must. We reach out to local civil society organizations and partners to ensure a remarkable number of participations in terms of gender, geography, marginalization, and disability in our interventions." -- Binita Karki, UN Volunteer Youth Programme Officer with UNDP Nepal
Born in rural Nepal, Binita witnessed gender-based discrimination since her childhood. Girls were expected to cook and complete household chores while boys had privileges to play sports and go to private schools.
For Binita, struggling for education was her first fight for gender equality. Despite obstacles, she did not give up and got her Master's degree in Crisis Management. She realized the importance of disaster management after the Nepal earthquake in 2015.
I feel fortunate to be a UN Volunteer working for UNDP in Nepal – where climate action is one of the major components. From witnessing gender-based discrimination since childhood and fighting for it to presently working for climate mitigation with inclusive participation of young men and women, along with LGBTIQA+ community and people with disability – I feel like I have come a long way and still have a long way to go." -- Binita Karki
Benita believes that sustainability comes with equality and equity. Ensuring quality education of every child despite their gender – allowing children to pursue their dreams, and letting them be themselves are some of the essential steps that must start from home.
Understanding the diverse needs and disparities of men, women and LGBTIQA communities and planning the allocation of resources accordingly is another step for achieving gender equality for sustainable development.
There were so many challenges I faced during this journey. I had to leave my home after high school for my future career. I started living alone from the age of 17 which is not accepted as normal in Nepali society. Times have changed now. The ones who used to question aspirations now wish their children to be like me – humble, independent, hardworking, and serving an international intergovernmental organization like UNDP Nepal.” -- Binita Karki
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Story
29 September 2023
How can technological interventions help women and girls avoid reinventing the wheel as they navigate higher education and career opportunities?
I graduated from high school over a decade ago and I still remember how overwhelming it was for me to navigate the college admissions process because of the limited information I had on academic opportunities. Back then, it seemed like there were three career paths - a doctor, an engineer, or a failure. Spoiler alert, I am neither a doctor nor an engineer.
It is baffling to me how lack of information and mentorship opportunities still hinders women and girls from achieving their true potential. Education is prioritized by many countries; however, in many parts of the world, it is still difficult for aspiring students and young professionals to learn about and access existing academic and career opportunities around them. Still, women and girls, especially ones from less privileged backgrounds, or who may be the first in their family to consider going to university, face barriers that can be uprooted with technological interventions. Technology should be utilized to assess and address the gender-specific challenges faced by women and girls and catalyze a cultural shift among influential community members, particularly in elders.
Technology, a tool to level the playing field
Because of limited networks and means, many aspiring students are often unaware of academic and scholarship opportunities and are highly concerned about the cost of a quality education. To help close this gap, even if by only a millimetre, I designed a Higher Education Research toolkit that consolidates the college admissions and scholarship application process for Universities in Nepal and some foreign countries that are highly preferred by Nepali students. I have led formal and informal mentoring sessions at schools and other platforms.
During these sessions, I had the opportunity to further understand some of the challenges faced by women and girls in Nepal as they navigate academic and career opportunities. Some girls shared that their families were not opposed to their education but because of financial constraints, the education of their brothers were prioritized over theirs. Some had heard conversations in their family where the cost of their higher education was weighed against the cost of holding a wedding ceremony. The absence of information on career opportunities after graduation was also given as a discouraging factor.
As the higher education application process is becoming increasingly digitized, access to internet connections and technological devices poses a huge barrier for women and girls. They might be eligible for several scholarships but first, they must know about them and have the resources to apply.
Some schools and local libraries provide free access to these resources which is helping this situation to some extent. Some students shared that they discovered fields of study they had never heard of via the internet. However, some students expressed that they first felt overwhelmed and then discouraged by the wide range of information available. They also said it was hard to identify official sources of information.
It is difficult to create comprehensive toolkits and reach everyone through individual-led projects. So, to maximize reach and impact, it is important that government, education institutions, development agencies, private organizations, and youth leaders co-design a centralized source of information that supports students to navigate higher education. This centralized source should also include information on career opportunities available after graduation. The mapping of education and career journeys along with information on role models can help address reservations associated with pursuing an unconventional field of study.
Furthermore, these stakeholders should co-design programmes to increase access to technological resources and utilize online platforms to connect aspiring students with women role models and mentors. The unique barriers limiting girls from pursuing higher education must be analysed and the insights must be incorporated into the design of these resources. Additionally, inputs from young leaders and beneficiaries should be placed at the central while designing the resources.
Technology, a tool to turn the spotlight on female role models and varied fields of study.
A topic that is less discussed but is equally important is making elders more familiar with a wider range of modern women role models. These elders include parents, guardians, teachers, and other decision influencers. In many communities, elders play an influential role in decisions around higher education and careers. Again, women and girls face gender-specific challenges. Often, they are encouraged by members of their families and communities to pursue fields of study that have relatively high female representation. This approach creates barriers for women and girls to entering fields that have low female representation, resulting in a vicious cycle.
According to the market research by Euromonitor, Asian elders are more techie compared to elders in other regions of the world. The increased use of social media among the elders is helping address the buy-in situation to some extent. Young female students in Nepal are using technology to not only conduct research about a particular field of study but also educate elders around them about the career potential and presence of women leaders in that field. Some of the girls have mentioned that they discovered women role models via social media. They are sharing news articles and interviews of women achievers with their family members. Some also shared that their family members have started doing their own research as well. This is helping the decision influencers understand about the career opportunities in a particular field.
The burden of having to get buy-in from decision influencers adds to the pressure these women and girls are already facing. Online programmes should be designed for our techie elders to equip them with resources on how they can support the creation of a supportive environment in which girls and women take ownership of their academic and career decisions. The centralized information source on academic and career opportunities can also help address some of the concerns of the decision influencers.
Additionally, to reflect that they are inclusive of all genders and help address various reservations, government and private institutions must share progress on metrics that reflect the effectiveness of their diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives, which must also reflect their understanding of the grassroots realities faced by women and girls in the region.
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Story
29 September 2023
Looking at gender-based violence from another perspective
As the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence 2021 is coming to an end, it is high time for us to broaden our approach to be more intersectional and to cover a diverse range of experiences in our society. Read more about how Dia Yonzon, a national Youth UN Volunteer working in the capacity of Youth Programme Support Officer, sees gender-based violence from a queer perspective.
Historically, the accounts of gender-based violence have left behind the non-binary experience that is a grappling reality for many individuals living with and among us.
In the context of Nepal, violence against trans and non-binary persons are adversely affecting the daily life of people. Yet, seldom do we find coverage in the mainstream media and resources are difficult to access for help.
Still the question begs to be asked: how can we eradicate these harmful practices if we don’t even talk about trans and non-binary persons or use our platforms to allow people to find their voices?
In order to find answers to these questions, in 2020, I spent 11 months as a trainee to the Deputy Representative of UN Women Nepal. In my time, I began experiencing how the heteronormative gender binary was institutionalized as the default within our society. I found myself primarily occupied in untangling and figuring out where I fit and later, I decided to rejoin the same agency as a national Youth UN Volunteer working in the capacity of Youth Programme Support Officer.
I recall when the COVID-19 pandemic began getting severe and the UN in Nepal created the separate category - male and female - group forum and therapy; I found these spaces heavily catered to hetero-binary needs.
To create safe spaces for trans and non-binary persons facing hate crimes during the pandemic, I co-founded Rainbow café with other queer staff and allies, an open platform for anyone to join and discuss or listen in about LGBTIQ+ related issues and topics. We brought in senior UN Staffs who were also queer to talk and share their experiences with younger and newer UN Staffs who were navigating their places in the system.
"Looking at gender-based violence from a queer perspective, I believe language is essential both as a communication tool and as the system's blueprint - as it's the first step forwards inclusion.
Indeed, in ending gender-based violence, our language should acknowledge the experiences of trans and non-binary individuals. And rather than fitting people's diverse experiences as an afterthought, I urge people to collect stories as valuable data for future inclusion, like what we are doing with Rainbow café.
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Press Release
06 November 2023
UN Agencies Launch a Joint Emergency Response to Earthquake in Western Nepal
Jajarkot, 6 Nov 2023: Days after 153 people were killed and several hundred injured, another strong earthquake with 5.6 magnitude struck Nepal on November 6, 2023.
On November 3, 2023, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck in the Jajarkot and Rukum Districts of Karnali Province in Nepal causing widespread damage. With the completion of the government’s search and rescue operation, the number of deaths stands at 153 (Male: 70, Female: 83) and 338(Male: 138, Female: 200) injured. The initial findings of the Government’s Initial Rapid Assessment (IRA) launched on 05 November say over 4,000 homes were damaged in the hardest hit districts.
Following the initial assessment of the remote damage assessment of available secondary data satellite images USGS data and earthquake risk model, around 1.3 million people might have been exposed and about 0.25 million people may need humanitarian assistance within 72 hours of the earthquake.
In response to the earthquake - the largest to impact Nepal since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 - United Nations agencies have been providing temporary shelter, food, and non-food items as part of a comprehensive and urgent response to the pressing needs of the affected communities.
Speaking about the joint UN Response, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Hanaa Singer - Hamdy said, “The government has immediately responded very effectively with search and rescue operation. Despite geographical remoteness and a difficult operating environment, the UN agencies and humanitarian partners are on the ground supporting the government’s efforts by reaching out to around 3000 households with food, shelter, WASH, protection, and health support. More than 382 aftershocks were reported forcing people to spend nights in the open or makeshift shelters in freezing overnight temperatures. The impact of this latest earthquake is compounding the difficulties and vulnerabilities of communities with low socio-economic indicators and stretched coping mechanisms.”
The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing logistics support to the Government and humanitarian partners through the Humanitarian Staging Area, as well as has rapidly dispatched 6 metric tonnes of ready-to-eat emergency food to the affected areas, helping provide sustenance for approximately 7,500 beneficiaries over three days. The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting local and national authorities to respond to the health needs of the affected population and has deployed two basic modules of the interagency emergency health kits to provide crucial aid.
UNICEF is dispatching critical emergency supplies to the affected areas and supporting response efforts to reach the most vulnerable children and families. As of 5 November morning, UNICEF distributed 1,067 sets of tarpaulins and 1,300 pieces of blankets to the affected population, with additional sets dispatched (3000). To avoid disease outbreaks, UNICEF is providing Water Sanitation and Hygiene supplies consisting of hygiene kits - bucket, mugs, water purifier (Piyush) and temporary toilets for the displaced populations in the two most affected districts.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has deployed medical supplies and other supplies for women and girls to ensure that their basic sanitation, menstrual hygiene and sexual and reproductive health needs are met in the midst of the disaster. Recognising protection needs of the affected communities, UNFPA in collaboration with other agencies also focuses on ensuring gender-based violence response and referral mechanisms are in place while mobilising response workers, including counsellors and community-based psychosocial workers.
UNDP has committed resources for early recovery, including deploying human resources to the Provincial Emergency Operation Centre for vital information management. Preparations are underway for the use of drones to assess earthquake damage and deployment of structural engineers and volunteers for assessing damaged structures.
UN Women is collaborating with women's groups to support Community Kitchens and provide relief packages. The agency is gearing up to provide essential supplies for women and children, thermos units, water purification equipment and support for pregnant women.
IOM is providing collaborative assistance to the Provincial Government for response and has deployed human resources to support the Provincial Emergency Operation Centre with information management. Shelter and NFIs are planned to be distributed to support the displaced population in close coordination with federal and provincial ministries and local levels.
The UN emphasizes the importance of a unified and rapid response to alleviate the suffering caused by this crisis. The collaboration with the government and local authorities remains steadfast in ensuring effective and efficient aid delivery to the affected regions.
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For Further Information contact:
Simrika Sharma
National Information Officer
UN Information Center
Email: simrika.sharma@un.org
Tel: 5523200 Ext. 1510
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Press Release
16 August 2023
The UN and Government of Nepal Calling for Renewed Ambition and Action for the Sustainable Development Goals
Ahead of the SDG Summit in September, the SDG Acceleration Visioning Workshop aims to review the status of the SDG Progress in Nepal and identify priority areas for SDGs acceleration and outline roadmap for strategic actions. It also aims to launch nationwide campaign on SDGs to mobilize multi-stakeholders, including provincial and local governments, private sector, civil society, and development partners to ramp up efforts to accelerate progress on SDGs.
“The Government of Nepal is passionately internalizing the SDGs through the current 15th plan and its regular programs and policies. Nepal have identified key areas that hold the potential to catalyze economic transformation, leading us towards SDG attainment and irreversible graduation from LDC status.” Said Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha, Vice Chair of the National Planning Commission. “Our focus is on enhancing production and productivity within our economy, generating skilled human capital, and creating inclusive employment opportunities including a robust emphasis on quality education, accessible healthcare systems, sound infrastructure, responsible urbanization, social empowerment, inclusivity, social security, increased capital expenditure, biodiversity preservation, and effective governance.” Dr Shrestha added.
For the first time in decades, development progress is reversing under the combined impacts of climate disasters, geopolitical tension, global economic slowdown, and lingering COVID-19 effects globally. At halftime towards the deadline of 2030, the promise of the SDGs is in peril with just 12 percent progress globally. This means that people and the planet are in deep crisis, and hence, the renewed commitment on the SDGs is more needed now than ever before. This workshop is therefore expected to outline the national commitment of Nepal.
Speaking at the workshop, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal Ms. Hanaa Singer Hamdy said, "The SDG progress is not about lines on a graph. It is about healthy mothers and babies; children learning the skills to fulfil their potential; and parents who can feed their families. It is about a world in which everyone enjoys human rights and human dignity." She further added, "The road ahead to achieve the SDGs globally and in Nepal is still a bit steep. But it is one we can, must and will achieve- together – and for the people we serve from all parts of this incredibly beautiful country."
The National Vision for SDG Acceleration that will be prepared through consultative process based on the outline coming from this workshop will be presented to the global leaders as Nepal's commitment at the 2023 SDG Summit being held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 18-19 September. The summit will reaffirm collective commitments of the world leaders to the Goals and the promise to leave no one behind. This Summit is a defining moment to urgently put the world back on track to achieving the SDGs.
Media Contact:
Suman Dahal: Joint Secretary/Spokesperson; National Planning Commission;Email sdahal@npc.gov.np
Simrika Sharma: National Information Officer; UN Information Centre; Email simrika.sharma@un.org
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Press Release
19 April 2023
Press Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the UNESCAP made her first official visit to Nepal
In Kathmandu, Ms. Alisjahbana opened the Subregional Workshop on “Structural Transformation towards a Sustainable Graduation from Least Developed Country Category” organized by ESCAP and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office/UN Country Team and hosted by the National Planning Commission of the Government of Nepal. Nepal will graduate from least developed country status in 2026. Sustaining the growth momentum beyond graduation requires continuous structural transformation and strengthening of productive capacities.
As part of her visit to Nepal, Ms. Alisjahbana met and discussed Nepal’s development challenges with Hon. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Hon. Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Hon. Vice Chairman of National Planning Commission Min Bahadur Shrestha, Hon. Minister of Finance Prakash Sharan Mahat, Hon. Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet, and Hon. Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala. Congratulating Nepal for its recent appointment as chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of Least Developed Countries, she highlighted ESCAP’s cooperation with the Government of Nepal in supporting Nepal’s smooth and sustainable graduation, particularly in the areas of structural transformation, sustainable transport, energy connectivity and clean (electric) cooking, disaster risk resilience, and statistics and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ms. Alisjahbana also met SAARC Secretary General Esala Ruwan Weerakoon and took the opportunity to examine cooperation between the secretariats of ESCAP and SAARC in South Asia.
UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Hanaa Singer Hamdy accompanied the meetings and reaffirmed the UN Country Team’s support to Nepal in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that will facilitate Nepal’s smooth and sustainable graduation. She acknowledged the country on overcoming unprecedented challenges and expressed appreciation for initiating the formulation of the Integrated National Financing Framework, which furthers Government efforts to reorient financial resources to achieve its national goals. Recognizing the complexity of the transition to a developed country, she reiterated UN Nepal’s readiness to work with the Government, drawing on experience and expertise nationally, regionally and internationally, including through South-South and triangular cooperation.
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For more information Contact:
Simrika Sharma
National Information Officer
simrika.sharma@un.org
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Press Release
05 April 2023
UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer-Hamdy presents her credentials to Rt. Honorable Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Hanaa Singer-Hamdy of Egypt as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal, with the approval from the Government of Nepal.
Following the UN Reform in 2019, the Resident Coordinator’s function has been upgraded to be the representative of the UN Secretary General in member states. UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa is the highest-ranking official of the UN Development System in Nepal. She leads the UN Country Team and coordinates UN support to Nepal in implementing the 2030 Agenda.
Upon presenting her credentials Ms. Hanaa Singer-Hamdy appreciated Nepal’s contribution to global peace through peacekeeping forces. She expressed the UN’s commitment to accompany Nepal on the inclusive and sustainable graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) by investing in people, specially strengthening social protection, Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change mitigation systems by leaving no one behind. She also said the UN stands ready to support the government to complete the peace process and victim-centric transitional justice reform.
Ms. Hanaa has worked for close to 30 years across development and humanitarian contexts at various senior management and strategic leadership roles and has most lately served as the UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka.
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BACKGROUND
Ms. Hanaa Singer-Hamdy has worked for close to 30 years across development and humanitarian contexts at various senior management and strategic leadership roles. She served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka from 2018 to 2022. Under her leadership, the UN in Sri Lanka continued its partnership with the Government in responding to complex economic and political challenges including the 2019 Easter Bombings, COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent deterioration in macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability. When Sri Lanka faced a significant rise in food insecurity and other humanitarian concerns, she led a response targeting 3.4 million people in need that raised over $100 million for vital aid. To advance inclusive and rights-based development, she led the design of the United Nations Strategic Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 in consultation with Government and other stakeholders. Since 2019, she also mobilized over $36 million for peacebuilding and resilience programming through the UN Sri Lanka SDG Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
Prior to this, she held several senior management positions in UNICEF offices across the world, including as the Associate Regional Director in Geneva and as Country Representative for Syria, Nepal, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
In Syria, she provided strategic leadership to one of the largest protection crises on the global stage – successfully scaling up programmes through an integrated package of high impact interventions in health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education and child protection - increasing the reach of UNICEF’s work to the most vulnerable children including in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.
As UNICEF Chief in Nepal, she pioneered strategic programmes for scaling up sanitation, adolescents and multisectoral nutrition programmes, establishing strategic new alliances resulting in the government adopting national action plans. She has also led humanitarian programmes in Burundi and Haiti, and as a Regional Emergency Advisor for central and eastern Europe (CEE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) coordinated setting up cross border humanitarian operations to Afghanistan, from central Asia, and Iraq, from south Turkey. She also provided technical support to emergency preparedness programmes in the North Caucasus, and Kyrgyzstan.
Ms. Singer-Hamdy holds a Master's degree in Political Sociology and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. She obtained a diploma in “Planning and Management of Decentralized Development Projects” from Bradford University in the United Kingdom.
Ms. Singer-Hamdy has engaged in academia and research in political sociology and international relations at the American University of Cairo and at the Sadat’s Academy for Management Sciences, Faculty of Political Science of Cairo University. She is the author and co-author of two publications on social change in the Middle East.
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For more information Contact:
Simrika Sharma
National Information Officer
simrika.sharma@un.org
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Press Release
21 March 2023
An Evidence-Based Workshop on Prevalence of Digital Violence and Hate Speech in Nepal
The workshop is a part of UN Nepal’s long-term goal to foster discussion on the causes and consequences of hate speech and promote information integrity in the hope of encouraging a collective effort to widen preventive measures and early warning actions on hate speech and disinformation in the country.
Speaking at the program, the UN Resident Coordinator Designate in Nepal, Ms. Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, said, “creating safer online experiences is crucial in the climate of aggressive digitalization. When groups in society use online platforms to attack and propagate hurtful content, it causes backlash, harm and can turn violent and undermine social cohesion. To make a difference we need effective partnerships between government, civil society, and tech companies. A partnership that prioritise protection over profits. We need laws, police and courts willing to create consequences for illegal activity. We need to create strong alliances that address the issues beyond regulation, involving the private sector, civil society, and communities so digital literacy and awareness of the impact of hate speech goes hand in hand with improved internet access.”
Sharing the lessons from the 2022 elections in Nepal, Honorable Dr. Janaki Kumari Tuladhar, Commissioner, Election Commission Nepal expressed, “The Election Commission Nepal has partnered with social media company Meta to counter disinformation and hate speech during the 2022 election. The Commission has launched voter education campaigns via social media and door-to-door outreach, urging voters to fact-check information related to elections. However, the issue of hate speech and disinformation extends beyond elections, and there is a need to cultivate critical thinking skills for accessing accurate information online. The Election Commission and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology should collaborate to tackle this issue in Nepal.”
The workshop provided space for dialogue between government, civil society, development partners and other practitioners who shared experiences, discussed lessons, and proposed future actions to mitigate hate speech and misinformation.
“The Government of Nepal wants to regulate the media without restricting freedom of expression. Self-regulation of individuals on the online and offline platform is more important than ever in the rapidly evolving digital media,” said Dr Baikuntha Aryal, Secretary of Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. “We are open to collaborate with civil society, media and development partners to work together on strengthening digital literacy of Citizens,” he added.
In response to the alarming trends of growing racism, intolerance, violent misogyny and hatred around the world, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech in 2019.
The Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech sets out a comprehensive strategic guidance for the United Nations system to address hate speech at the national and global level. It aims to both address root causes and drivers of hate speech and effectively respond to the impact of hate speech on societies.
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For more information Contact:
Simrika Sharma
National Information Officer
simrika.sharma@un.org
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For more information Contact:
Simrika Sharma
National Information Officer
simrika.sharma@un.org
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