Background: Project Overview
Under the project “Empower Her: Access to Justice Initiative,” this review aims to strengthen evidence-based advocacy and promote disability-inclusive justice systems for women and girls with disabilities in Nepal. Despite existing legal and policy provisions, women and girls with disabilities continue to face significant barriers in accessing justice, including inaccessible services, limited access to information, discrimination, inadequate institutional responsiveness, and weak implementation of disability-inclusive laws and policies.
This review will review and examine existing legal and policy frameworks, institutional mechanisms governing access to justice for women and girls with disabilities, with particular emphasis on the responsiveness of key justice-sector actors and institutions. It will document key policy gaps, barriers, challenges and solution along with recommendation to strength disability-inclusive justice systems and support policy reform and institutional strengthening efforts.
Expected Outcome
The review is expected to generate comprehensive evidence on the strengths, gaps, and implementation challenges of existing legal, policy and institutional frameworks related to access to justice for women and girls with disabilities in Nepal.
Specifically, the review is expected to achieve the following outcomes:
1. Assess the effectiveness and inclusiveness, of existing constitutional, legal, policy and institutional frameworks governing access to justice for women and girls with disabilities.
2. Examine the responsiveness of key justice-sector institutions, including Nepal Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the Judiciary, legal aid service providers, and the Nepal Bar Association.
3. Identify legal, policy, institutional, procedural, communication, and accessibility barriers affecting access to justice.
4. Assess the extent to which justice-sector actors provide reasonable accommodation, procedural support, accessible information, and disability-responsive services.
5. Examine implementation gaps between legal commitments and institutional practice.
6. Document perspectives and experiences of justice-sector stakeholders, parliamentarians, and organizations of persons with disabilities regarding existing challenges and reform priorities.
7. Develop evidence-based recommendations for legislative reform, policy development, institutional strengthening, capacity building, and improved service delivery.
8. Produce a policy brief to support advocacy, policy dialogue, parliamentary engagement, and law reform initiatives aimed at strengthening disability-inclusive access to justice.
Scope of Work
The consultant shall analyze the relevant constitutional, legal, policy, and institutional frameworks affecting access to justice for women and girls with disabilities. This analysis will include, but not be limited to:
1. Constitution of Nepal (2015) and its guarantees of equality, non-discrimination, and inclusion.
2. National Criminal Code, National Civil Code, and the Criminal Offences (Sentencing and Execution) Act, Administration of Justice Act, Legal Aid Act and Policy.
3. Policies and strategic plans of justice-sector institutions.
4. Alignment with international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
Methodology
The consultant/company will follow the following methodology:
i. Desk review/ Literature review and observation of the mentioned policies and reports.
ii. Conduct consultation meeting with OPDs and parliamentarians.
iii. Key informant interview with related justice sector agencies.
iv. Conduct validation workshop with justice sectors, parliamentarians and OPDs.
The methodology must ensure
i. Confidentiality and informed consent
ii. Accessibility and inclusion
iii. Gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive approaches
iv. Ethical considerations and safeguarding measures
Deliverables
The consultant/researcher shall submit the following:
- Inception report includes methodology, work plan, and tools.
- Draft review report.
- Presentation of preliminary findings to the project team and stakeholders.
- Final review report incorporating feedback and recommendations.
- Prepare policy Brief with key findings and recommendations for legal, justice and policy makers.
Duration of Assignment
The assignment is expected to be completed within 30 working days from the date of contract signing.
Required Qualifications and Experience
The consultant/researcher should have
1. Advanced degrees in Law, Human Rights, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Gender Studies, Disability Studies, or a related field.
2. At least 5 years of experience in legal, policy, human rights, gender, or disability-related research and analysis.
3. Strong understanding of disability rights, gender equality, and access to justice issues in Nepal.
4. Proven experience in conducting policy reviews, legal analysis, or research studies.
5. Excellent report-writing and analytical skills.
6. Experience working with women and girls with disabilities and OPDs will be an advantage.
Reporting and Supervision
The consultant/company will work under the direct supervision of the project coordinator/management team of the implementing organization and coordinate closely during planning and reporting processes.
Ethical Considerations
The consultant/company must:
- Maintain confidentiality and privacy of participants.
- Obtain informed consent before interviews/discussions.
- Ensure protection and dignity of women and girls with disabilities.
- Use accessible communication methods during research.
Application Procedure
Interested consultants/company are requested to submit:
- Cover Letter expressing interest.
- Technical Proposal outlining understanding of the assignment, methodology, and work plan.
- Updated CV of the consultants.
- Samples of similar work completed in the past.
- Financial Proposal with a detailed budget.
Payment plan
- Payment will be made in installments based on agreed deliverables by two installments (Advance 60% during the starting task and Final installment 40% after completion of the task)
Confidentiality and Ownership:
All the documents that will be provided to the consultant by the organization and the deliverable produced out of the consultancy will remain the property of the organization.
Zero Tolerance against violence and fraud
Each party should respect and promote equality and against any forms of discrimination, abuse, misuse, violence based on gender, disability, poverty, race, color, religion, caste, ethnicity, geography or any ground.
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are sought.
Eligible company/individual Interested are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the following address.
To,
Federation of Women with Disability Nepal (FWDN)
Email: recruitmentprocessfwdn@gmail.com
All the eligible consultants, companies/firms are requested to submit EOI in an envelope or subject of email and mark it EOI to Human Resource unit of FWDN central office located in Dillibazar, Kathmandu through email. The proposal is 15th June 2026, before 5:00 PM, Nepali Time.