Access unlocks power: Redefining leadership possibilities for women with disabilities
Date:
Author: Sangharsha Panta
When dawn breaks over the hills of Lekhbesi Municipality in Surkhet of Karnali Province, Nepal, Indra Kumari Gharti Magar is already checking on the buffalo she rears and tidying the yard before waking her niece Birma Rawal.
Their morning might seem ordinary, but for years, life for these two women was shaped by fear and isolation.
Indra became Birma’s caregiver when she was young. Abandoned by her parents and living with multiple disabilities, Birma depended entirely on her aunt. With no support, Indra juggled caregiving with daily wage labour to keep them afloat. When Indra was working, Birma was left alone. In that vulnerability, she was sexually abused by a neighbour – but it went unreported because neither woman knew they had this right.
“We thought this was just the way life was,” Indra says quietly.
Their world began to shift after Indra joined the Lekhbesi Women with Disabilities Group formed under the Srijanshil Self-Help Group and Promote Disability Rights and Inclusion in the Governance and Development Process of Nepal (PRODi-G) programme (implemented by Koshish Nepal). The Srijanshil Self-Help Group was created under the Storytelling Initiative, implemented by JURI and FEDO, with support from UN Women and the Embassy of Finland.
Her first meeting ended up being a turning point. Alongside women who shared her troubles and hopes, Indra learned about disability entitlements, gender-based violence referral pathways, legal rights and support systems. She also found solidarity.
Now, Indra no longer leaves Birma unattended. With improved caregiving practices and support, Birma’s confidence has grown, she engages more openly and communicates more freely. Indra herself, once hesitant to speak in front of strangers, now participates in ward meetings and serves as Secretary of the Ward Drinking Water Committee.
Across Nepal, in the Bara and Sarlahi Districts of Madhesh Province, Pratima Mahato and Mithlesh Kumari Yadav were making similar discoveries. They grew up hearing that daughters with disabilities bring only hardship. Their aspirations were dismissed before they had the chance to voice them. But community groups of Pahichan Nepal, supported through the UN Women’s Hamro Sahas Programme (HSP) funded by the UK Government, helped a different story unfold.
Pratima joined Mithila Sarathi Samaj to learn tailoring. What started as a livelihood skill unlocked something deeper: confidence. She began leading group activities, supporting younger girls and challenging the stigma she once internalized.
“A daughter from Madhesh is not weak,” she says. “Give her opportunities, and she will rise.”
Mithlesh’s journey followed a similar arc. Once pressured to marry early because she was “incapable,” she grew into a determined leader through legal literacy sessions supported by HSP. Today, she co-coordinates a community legal literacy group, helping other women navigate systems, from disability allowances to violence reporting mechanisms, that once seemed inaccessible.
“We don’t need sympathy,” Mithlesh says. “We need space to prove what we can do.”
From the hills of Karnali to the plains of Madhesh, these shifts are part of a larger movement. UN Women and its partners are strengthening networks of women with disabilities, caregivers and local organizations through training, belonging, confidence and a collective vision.
The women leading this movement are not just participants. They are committee members, skills-trainers, legal literacy champions and advocates reshaping local norms. Caregivers, too often overlooked, are learning to protect their children, navigate government systems and stand together to claim their rights.
Local governments in Nepal have adopted frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and constitutional provisions, and there has been progress in incorporating gender equality and disability inclusion policies at the local level. However, effective implementation is still weak. That’s why UN Women continues to advocate for the rights of women with disabilities, ensuring that their voices are heard in decision-making spaces.
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025, their stories remind us that empowerment begins when women with disabilities are seen, heard and recognized.