KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 19

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has directed all the local levels to duly implement the 13-point recommendation made by the National Human Rights Commission to ensure that sexual and gender minorities live a dignified life.

A study report on ‘Human Rights Status of Sexual and Gender Minorities’ released by the rights body had made a number of recommendations to the federal, provincial and local governments for the protection of rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.

The report was based on interaction with LGBTI people in Jhapa, Morang, Parsa, Rautahat, Mahottari, Kaski, Rupandehi, Kailali and Kathmandu over the period of six months. It explores how sexual and gender minorities have been deprived of human rights guaranteed by the constitution and various national and international laws, while suggesting ways to address the problems facing the people from the LGBTI communities.

In response to a letter of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the MoFAGA yesterday issued a circular to the local governments to implement the NHRC recommendations.

The 13-point recommendation requires the local levels to organise training programmes for school teachers to encourage them to create LGBTI-friendly environment, conduct public awareness programmes related to discrimination against LGBTI people, provide counselling to their families, maintain their records, allocate budget for the protection of sexual and gender minorities, provide scholarship and educational materials to such persons for study, make the schools/colleges LGB- TI-friendly and build a separate toilet for LGBTI students, among others.

The report had warned that sexual and gender minorities were most affected in the Madhes and urged all three tiers of the government to come up with special programmes to make them self-reliant. Despite guarantee of their rights by the constitution, LGBTI people have been perpetually discriminated and stigmatised due to their sexual orientation.

In 2008, the Supreme Court had passed a judgement to end discrimination, reiterating that LGBTI people are defined as ‘natural persons’ and their physical growth, sexual orientation, gender identity, expression are all part of the natural growing-up process.