Evidence to Action: Addressing Violence Against LGBTIQ+ People in Nepal

Strong advocacy by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people (LGBTIQ+) in Nepal have led to significant achievements. This progress is evident in Nepal’s Constitution of 2015, which for the first time recognized and protected the rights of LGBTIQ+ people. Despite these gains, stigma, discrimination and violence against LGBTIQ+ people remains pervasive in Nepal, as it does globally. Legal protection and human rights commitments still need to translate into concrete actions and changes envisioned by LGBTIQ+ rights advocates and organizations.

UN Women Nepal Country Office, in collaboration with M & C Saatchi World Services, Blue Diamond Society Nepal, and Viamo, undertook this national study to document and analyse the experiences of violence against LGBTIQ+ people in Nepal, including prevalence, forms, risk and preventive factors, along with the consequences of violence. The study used mixed methods of data collection, including both qualitative and quantitative research. This is the first kind of study on violence against LGBTIQ+ people in Nepal. The study also analyses existing laws and policies on preventing and responding to violence against LGBTIQ+ people. The study generates powerful empirical evidence on the lived realities of LGBTIQ+ people in Nepal. It captures the magnitude of violence faced by LGBTIQ+ people. Four in five respondents (81 percent) reported to have experienced at least one form of violence in their lifetime. The data calls for urgent action to address violence against LGBTIQ+ people. The recommendations of this study seek to guide national and global stakeholders in their efforts to address violence against LGBTIQ+ people. The study could also open avenues for further research and advocacy on various dimensions of LGBTIQ+ experiences not covered by the study.