Understanding Gender, Disability and Disasters in Health and Well-being: A Qualitative Study Among Rural Women in Selected Districts of Nepal

The interaction of gender, poverty and disability has affected the experiences of women with disabilities living in rural municipalities of Nepal. This study examined how the intersecting effect of gender, disability and disaster impacted the basic healthcare needs of disabled women. We conducted seven key informant interviews, three focus group discussions, two workshop meetings with local stakeholders and nine in-depth interviews with women with disabilities in Palungtar Municipality and Marsyangdi Rural Municipality of Nepal, affected by natural calamities (floods, landslides and earthquakes), along with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that women with disabilities experienced double discrimination due to gender and disability, which contributed to increased vulnerability and reduced well-being, and that disasters exacerbated the situation. They experienced increased sexual and gender-based violence due to unsafe shelters where they lived during disasters. Providing disability-friendly services, reducing barriers to accessing services and developing competencies among vulnerable groups to empower them are recommended for resilience.