Colours of the Rainbow

Although significant strides have been made in the past few years through progressive legislation in promoting the rights of LGBTIQ people in Nepal, this community is still highly discriminated against on the basis of their gender identity and sexual orientation.

Colours of the Rainbow works with communities to improve the lives of the LGBTIQ community, and reduce the discrimination they face. 

4,426
people trained in LGBTIQ+ awareness

We work in partnership with AmplifyChange to create an enabling environment for LGBTIQ people so they can fully claim their sexual and reproductive health and rights and live in a stigma-free society. We do this in 3 ways:

Supporting LGBTIQ youth to demand and secure their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Ineffective implementation of existing legislation and discriminatory cultural and social norms have perpetuated the marginalisation of LGBTIQ people in all spheres of life. This marginalisation has meant the vast majority of SRHR services available for young people in Nepal are solely structured around the needs of heterosexuals and exclude the differing needs of the LGBTIQ community. 

Strengthening the LGBTIQ network by supporting community groups

We consult and support civil society organisations to more effectively and meaningfully engage with young people. This not only amplifies young LGBTIQ people’s ability to lobby local government for their rights and gain better access to family planning and counselling services, it also creates a safe and empowering environment in which they can thrive.

Strengthening nationwide advocacy for LGBTIQ issues

We work with 52 LGBTIQ organisations in Nepal to boost their legal standing, enhance their community organisation, and their ability to coordinate successful advocacy at the national level.

We help LGBTIQ youth to lead evidence-based advocacy to ensure their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights are effectively recognised and provided for. 

This program was active from April 2018 to October 2020. Through this initiative, Restless Development Nepal reached 4778 people (420 LGBTQIA+ and 4358 non-LGBTQIA+), providing training on LGBTQIA+ awareness. Additionally, 80 CSOs focusing on LGBTQIA+ issues benefited from the Organizational Development Toolkit. This toolkit equips CSOs with essential components to improve and develop their organizational strategies, structures, and processes. The program significantly advanced inclusivity by registering 10 previously unregistered LGBTQIA+ Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and advocating for the inclusion of a third gender category in local hospital registrations.

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