Kathmandu: Women from key populations gathered to discuss challenges related to HIV and human rights during an interaction program organized on International Women’s Day 2026.
The program was supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nepal through a project funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The discussion was organized by Recovering Women Nepal and Recovering Nepal in coordination with the National Human Rights Commission Nepal, with participation from UNAIDS.
Participants highlighted several issues, including breaches of confidentiality in healthcare, stigma and discrimination, and barriers in employment, citizenship, and protection from violence.
During the interaction, Human Rights Commissioner Top Bahadur Magar noted that although some progress has been made in citizenship-related issues, challenges still remain, including cases of police harassment of female sex workers.
He requested participants to submit a petition to the NHRC’s Collective Rights Section to support action on key gender and human rights concerns in the HIV response, including legal reforms on drug use, recognition of same-gender marriage, and citizenship and identity rights for transgender women.
UNDP reaffirmed its commitment to working with communities, civil society, and institutions to address human rights violations and promote an inclusive, rights-based response to HIV, emphasizing that ending HIV also requires ending stigma, discrimination, and injustice.
