Interaction with Local Government on Way Forward for Disability Inclusive Development and Enhancing Access to Justice for Girls and Women with Disabilities at the Local Level

Access Planet Organization, in the support of Women Fund Asia (Leading From the South LFS), conducted a half-day event on “Interaction with Local Government on Way Forward for Disability Inclusive Development and Enhancing Access to Justice for Girls and Women with Disabilities at the Local Level”. The program was conducted on June 20, 2024, at Valley View Hotel, Surkhet district, with the participation of both right-holder women with disabilities and duty-bearers, as well as local government representatives of Birendranagar and Bheriganga municipalities.  The interaction program aimed to orient local government on disability inclusive development and to discuss the way forward on access to justice for girls and women with disabilities.

Objectives

The objective of the interaction program is:

• To orient the local government on disability-inclusive development and the issues of access to justice for girls and women with disabilities.

Issues on access to justice for girls and women with disabilities of Surkhet, Karnali as identified during issue identification workshop:

• Lack of accessible physical infrastructure in justice mechanism
• Less sensitization to girls and women with disabilities and their families on violence and justice mechanism
• The information disseminated by local government and justice mechanism not being accessible
• Lack of sign language interpreter at the local level
• Local judicial committees are less sensitized about disability inclusive justice mechanism
• Low economic status of girls and women with disabilities
• Cases being hostile due to political pressure and enticement
• Delayed justice
• Lack of assistant and support system

Outcome

• The local government representatives, including the members of the judicial committees were sensitized on the issues of access to justice of girls and women with disabilities
• Commitments were gathered from the local government representatives on more investments and programs for disability inclusion and enhancing access to justice at the local level
• The interaction paved further pathway for disability-inclusive development at the local level