This charter, originally drafted by UN Women Nepal and adapted by a number of queer and feminist organisations, makes specific demands on the Government of Nepal for an inclusive COVID-19 response. The charter first provides definitions of relevant terms with caveats where some members have disagreed with the relevance of a term. The charter then makes demands of the state. These demands include recognising the specific needs of women healthcare workers; addressing the increased care burden on women–including on women in same-gender relationships; and a scaled-up and inclusive gender based violence response that is relevant to women and girls in all their diversity, trans men, non-binary and third gender people, people with intersex variations and people with diverse sexual orientations, specifically in ensuring that toll-free GBV helplines are responsive to all people.
Ensuring transgender people can access gender affirming healthcare and aid without the barrier of identification is a significant demand. This demand in particular is bolstered with real-life examples and points to other regional bodies who have made similar arguments.
Each demand is listed and then elaborated upon. Some demands point to existing services and the gaps within services or areas where they could (and should) be scaled-up. Increased representation of women and queer people is a theme throughout. The charter lists all of the endorsing organisation, including Queer Youth Group, Blue Diamond Society, Women for Human Rights Single Women Group, National Indigenous Disabled Women Association Nepal, UN Women Nepal, APTN, and a number of individuals, such as journalists, researchers and activists, who signed the charter independent or in the absence of an associated organisation.
