Nepali scholar’s decades of advocacy for the rights of women with disabilities sparks discussion at Virginia Tech

Neeti Aryal Khanal traces her inspiration to become a scholar, activist, and professor to an 18-year-old woman with partial vision who had suffered abuse at an integrated school where blind and sighted students in Nepal could study together.

In vivid, heart-wrenching detail, the young woman described to Khanal the repeated violations and violence the school’s leadership had perpetrated against her.

Khanal joined a group of women with disabilities in supporting her friend in her legal battle against the perpetrator. The more involved Khanal became and the more exposure she got to the challenges faced by women with disabilities, the more she came to see how her friend’s experience was not an isolated event.

“It was during the very early beginnings of inclusive education in Nepal,” Khanal said. “Often, because parents would find it difficult to manage the education of their children, these schools had a residential facility. But a high level of violence occurred within these institutions.”

Ultimately, her friend’s experience changed the trajectory of Khanal’s life. Having become so acutely aware of the vulnerabilities and marginalization of women with disabilities, Khanal felt compelled to volunteer where she could, to be an advocate, and eventually to become a researcher committing her career and livelihood to exposing the inequities and injustices faced by the women with disabilities in Nepal.

Two decades later, Khanal is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Gender Studies at Tribhuvan University, the oldest and largest university in Nepal. She will come to Blacksburg on March 14 to share her insights from her research into the ways ableism and patriarchy in the South Asian nation have impacted women and girls with disabilities.

Her free talk is part of the Women and Gender in International Development Discussion Series. The series is organized by the Center for International Research, Education, and Development and is an InclusiveVT initiative of Outreach and International Affairs. For over a decade, the series has brought renowned scholars and practitioners to share their knowledge about gender and international development with the Virginia Tech community.

“This series is just one example of how Virginia Tech brings together top researchers from around the world to pursue solutions to the most complex challenges. It is also a testament to our belief that development is achieved most effectively when it is inclusive, equitable, and based on the priorities of local groups,” said the discussion series’ creator, Maria Elisa Christie, director of Women and Gender in Development.

From pioneering research to policy changes

Over the past 20 years, Khanal has published three theses related to this one topic. Her first, the most directly inspired by that young woman’s experience, was the first study in Nepal to examine how women with disabilities are more vulnerable to sexual abuse.

Being a pioneer in this research, though, sometimes made it challenging to gain support.

“Gender and disabilities were considered to be separate and different issues. When I would speak with people working on issues of gender equality and I would ask them questions about women with disability, they would respond, ‘This is not something that we do. You need to speak with an organization for disabilities,’” Khanal said. “Then, when I would speak with organizations for people with disabilities — which were mostly led by men — they would say women with disabilities weren’t their issue either.”

Over time, she and the many like-minded activisits she works with in this field have been able to bridge these gaps and have these conversations. Though it has been a slow and challenging road, Khanal is beginning to see changes. Her research has helped inform advocacy for policy interventions in Nepal. She has been invited to present workshops and provide consulting for government agencies, health professionals, and national associations.

Since Khanal began her work, Nepal has ratified a number of conventions and treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. She describes these policy changes as a step in the right direction, but just the beginning of the work that needs to be done.

A launching point

Her talk in Blacksburg, titled “Intersections of Vulnerabilities: Multiple Marginalized Experiences of Women and Girls With Disabilities in Nepal,” will expose how long-established social systems continue to shape the experiences of one of Nepal’s most marginalized groups — despite the country’s overall improving development. Her presentation weaves findings and results from her research-based activism to discuss the strides that have been made and the wide gaps that remain for inclusive policy and programs.

Khanal said traveling to Virginia Tech and having a discussion about the rights and well-being of women with disabilities is more than an opportunity to share important research.

“It is a beginning, an opportunity for us to forge beneficial connections and partnerships. By discussing this together, we create spaces for student learning, we become aware of more voices and perspectives that should be at our tables, we inspire each other and motivate one another to keep innovating and keep advocating.”

The presentation will be offered in a hybrid format. Attendees can register to hear Khanal in person at 12:30 p.m. March 14 in Newman Library’s Goodall Room (Multipurpose Room), or they can register to attend via Zoom.

Khanal’s visit is co-sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Diversity Mini-Grant, and the Department of English. Her talk is also part of Women’s Month at Virginia Tech.

If you require accommodations such as assistive devices, services, or other resources to participate in this event, please contact Shriya Sathaye at 540-239-6711 or womengenderdev@gmail.com. You may also call the TDD phone number at 800-828-1120.