I am Sunita Thapa, a woman from deaf community. I am representing Gandaki in the state assembly by raising the voices of people with disabilities, tribals, women and backward youth. My goal is not limited to personal success, rather I want to be the voice of other oppressed classes for building an inclusive society.

Why is the participation of people with disabilities in politics necessary? What role can youth play? Why is women's representation important? Looking for answers to all these questions, I set out on a journey in politics.

I was born in 049 in Chapakot, Syangja. I got sick at the age of 12. I contracted typhoid which caused me to become deaf. I was a good student in school but failed once in class 7 due to illness. Everyone was interested when I failed. Whereas by that time I had begun to hear what my teachers, friends and family were saying dimly. Some even said I was pretending. But I was losing my hearing. Many did not believe when the hearing person suddenly stopped hearing. That was the biggest change of my life. The view of people with disabilities in the society was different, which added more challenges to me. 

I used to study in a normal school. But after becoming deaf, difficulties appeared in the learning process. The teacher taught me by putting me on the front bench. I passed SLC in 2065. It was a big dream to study staff nurse, but because of deafness, he could not choose a subject and study. After that, I studied up to 12th standard by taking Nepali subject at Crejan Bahira Residential School in Lekhnath, Pokhara. At that time, only Nepali subjects could be studied in the Faculty of Education. Now computer subject has been added in Baglung. Accounting teaching has just started in Kathmandu. 

After enrolling in a school for the deaf, he realizes that he has finally met his friend, seeing that everyone uses sign language. I also learned the language. At first I was scared because I didn't know how to use my hands. Slowly got used to it. Then I found out that there is an organization related to the deaf. In 2066, I joined Syangja District Bahira Association. 

When I went to Kathmandu to study graduation, another big challenge came in front of me - the lack of education in sign language. I had to study with graduate students. I had the potential for higher education but did not have the means to utilize that potential. Due to the lack of proper education system for students with disabilities in Nepal, many of them have to give up their dreams and change their lives. I stopped there. My goal was not to do anything for myself. Instead, I wanted to try to pave the way for other disabled people like me, women and youth.

Participating in various programs at home and abroad, I began to represent not only the problems of the deaf community, but also the issues of people with disabilities, women, tribes and backward youth. In 2018/2019, I had the opportunity to receive a 10-month leadership development training in Japan. 

I came from there with a plan to work in the field of disability in Gandaki province. What I realized then was that no matter what I had to do, politics would become an obstacle. I came with a plan to introduce various projects in the field of disability, to bring in support from Japan. It is a bitter reality that it is not possible to do that without joining any party. I wanted to be active in social service. I could not work for two years because I did not belong to any party.

People's representatives elected at the local level only cooperated based on their political affiliation, and the project team brought by the organization had to do whatever they wanted. Had to fight for two years. Then came the idea that I should join politics. It was realized that to raise the voice of the disabled people, they should enter politics. I started politics by joining Congress. 

has been active in politics for 7 years. I became active in politics as a regional representative of the Congress, a convention representative, a central member of the Democratic Handicapped Association. Politics is an effective means of changing society. If we want equal opportunities then we have to get to the policy making place. With this thought, I came to Gandaki State Assembly.

Even though the constitution has given equal rights to all citizens, in practice, many communities are still excluded from the decision-making process of the state. The voices of people with disabilities, women, tribals and backward youth are not reaching the decision-making process. Even the people's representatives at the policy-making level did not listen to the voices of people with disabilities. I felt that I could not feel myself falling. After raising my voice for the rights, participation, and opportunities of people with disabilities at the union, state, and local levels, I aimed to reach that position myself. 

There are about 15 percent people with disabilities in Nepal. However, they seem to have little political leadership. In order to understand and address the issues of persons with disabilities, they themselves need to be involved in the policy making process. For that, I struggled within the party to keep my name in the closed list of the state assembly member as I am a tribal, a woman and a disabled person. According to the cluster, it was thought that my name will be in one number of the closed list of proportional. My name was number five towards the tribe. If there was a cluster of disabled people, it would be number one. 

After the death of Congress MP Vimala Gauchan, I have represented according to the roll order given in the closed list. Earlier, I used to raise my voice on behalf of people with disabilities. Now I have reached a place where I can hear the voice. I have come to the place of policy making. I feel an added responsibility. Yesterday I was walking to the place where I was demanding, now I have arrived at the same place. I have to listen to everyone. It is difficult to explain even here. 

It is also heard how a disabled person became an MP today. Things like whether they understand what happened in the parliament or not are also happening in the society. Even though they were discriminated against as disabled yesterday, now after becoming a member of parliament, they are being honored in the same way and invited to various events. What we need to understand is that people with disabilities are not disabled, they are only those who have not been able to prove their ability due to discrimination and obstacles made by the society. 

is the place where policy is made, Parliament. I was also a little nervous when I attended the House for the first time. I was wondering if it was handicap friendly. But Parliament House is not completely disabled-friendly either. The Constitution has also ensured the right to information of persons with disabilities. Interpreters should have been arranged in the Parliament, but it has not happened yet. I applied for an interpreter two months ago, but it has not been heard yet. In the provincial parliament regulations, it is said that the MPs with disabilities will be provided with assistants, but there is no mention of communication assistants for the deaf. 

I have represented people with disabilities in countries including Japan, Singapore, Dubai, Switzerland, South Korea, and China. I have been doing

ing. I raised the issue of tribal women with disabilities at a program held at the United Nations Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. Foreign developed 

The country's laws and infrastructure are disabled friendly. The same kind of investment cannot be done in Nepal but can be changed in small things. Special facilities can be given in education, health, employment. 

Policies are needed to ensure education, health, employment, access and self-reliance of persons with disabilities. To make these policies effective, there should be direct involvement of people with disabilities. People with disabilities need to be seen as 'capable citizens' and not as 'mercy'. For this, an exemplary role should be played from the political level itself.

Nepal's youth are a force for change. About 40 percent of the country's total population is youth, but efforts to include them in the decision-making process are minimal  There is a

. The political awareness of the youth should be increased. If they can bring political awareness to the youth, they can 

can be activated in policy making. There should be opportunities for youth leadership in political parties. Not only old-style leaders will come forward, but young people with new ideas and perspectives should be given an opportunity. 

politics is not just a tool to gain power. This is the basic basis of social change. Only when people with disabilities, dalits, women, tribals and backward youth are present in the decision-making space, inclusive policymaking is possible. There are many issues that need to be improved in

politics. There is a custom within the party that the time will come later for the youth, the time will come, now is not the time to climb. Me too 

was called that. Youth should be given leadership. But that's not the case. When everyone takes their turn, the turn of the youth will come later. That is why there is a situation of youth migration. The practice of giving leadership opportunities only after age should be changed. All parties should give special opportunities to youth and people with disabilities. 

Inclusive education should be arranged for students with disabilities while improving the education system. Employment opportunities should be created, special employment policies should be implemented for persons with disabilities, women and youth. Promotion of inclusive politics is essential. Political parties should nominate persons with disabilities, women and youth. Governments, communities and organizations should work together to ensure equal opportunities for all people in society.

I am the president of the Gandaki Bahira Sangh along with the state MP  I am also a

er. My main agenda in Parliament is to ensure the participation of people with disabilities in making policy and regulation effective. The state should not exclude persons with disabilities during the discussion with the stakeholders in the process of making any law. When a law is being made, if a person with a disability participates in the discussion, there is no need to make a separate law for the disabled. Implementing the laws will be my main agenda. The fields of education, health, and employment should be made disability-friendly and inclusive.