Nepal: Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, and Social Protection institutionalising commitment towards equality for LGBTIQ communities

On 14 May 2026, the Government of Nepal officially renamed the “Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens” to the “Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, and Social Protection”, explicitly including the mandate for LGBTIQ communities in Nepal in the title. Nepal has been lauded as one of the most progressive countries with respect to the recognition and protections afforded to gender and sexual minorities, and it is now the first country in Asia to explicitly include the group in the name of a ministerial mandate. We further welcome the press statement on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) from the Ministry stating that “any form of discrimination, exclusion, violence, or hate-based behavior on the grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation is completely unacceptable and punishable under the law”, and their commitment to the protection of LGBITQ communities in the country.

Nepal was the first country in South Asia to explicitly recognise gender and sexual minorities as a protected group following the 2007 Supreme Court decision in the case of Sunil Babu Pant v. Government of Nepal, which allowed people to change their gender markers to identify as “Others.” The Constitution of Nepal (2015) also prohibits discrimination against LGBTIQ individuals and communities under the right to equality and includes provisions for one to receive citizenship identification in accordance with their gender identity. There are still significant barriers for people seeking to change their legal gender markers as they are required to undergo sex reassignment surgery and a lengthy and intrusive administrative and medical verification process. The Supreme Court of Nepal has decided that trans women are women in Rukshana Kapali v. Government of Nepal, recognising the right of trans women to self-identify as women, and that in this case, the plaintiff could change her legal gender marker without going through a medical verification process. The judgment does not, however, hold precedent for other trans individuals in the country.. 

While administrative barriers and social acceptance are still catching up to legal progress, state and federal government policies centering the needs of people with diverse SOGIESC give hope. The national level Sixteenth Five Year Plan (2023-2028) has identified sexual and gender minorities as one of the core groups for protection and upliftment, and explicitly identified forced marriages of LGBTIQ individuals as a “bad social practice” that needs direct policy intervention. The former Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens prioritised children with diverse gender and sexual identities in the implementation of National Children Policy including through queer-inclusive curriculum development in education and interventions against school bullying. The renaming of the Ministry was carried out on 14 May as a part of a larger administrative overhaul, with express commitment to centering people with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations in planning and implementation of policies and programmes under the ministry. The Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, and Social Protection under its new mandate is responsible for “administering national protective laws, social security schemes, protecting marginalised groups, and assuring the socio-political rights of gender and sexual minorities across the country.” 

Nepal is also on track to be the first country in South Asia, and third in Asia, to grant equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. The Supreme Court of Nepal in June 2023 gave an interim order to temporarily register same-sex marriages in the country providing marital recognition without formal marriage rights—the final date for hearing in that case has been set for 18 June 2026.  The Government has been ordered to provide the report of the earlier committee formed on this issue, and the concerned Ministry has been asked to clarify what progress has been made towards the codification of laws and policies related to same-sex marriage. In light of this progress and the commitment from the current government regarding the rights of LGBTIQ people in Nepal, we urge the Supreme Court to rely on the equal protections and rights guaranteed in the constitution to ensure equal and tangible marriage rights for sexual and gender minorities.

"For many years, our community has advocated for formal recognition and institutional space within government structures. Until now, we did not have this level of official mandate and visibility. This decision marks an important step toward meaningful institutionalisation of our rights and creates a stronger foundation to advance unfinished laws, policies, programs, and budgets that truly address the needs and rights of LGBTIQ+ people.Today, we feel proud, hopeful, and encouraged. We sincerely thank the Government of Nepal, our allies, supporters, and community members whose continued efforts and solidarity made this milestone possible."  — Manisha Dhakal, Executive Director, Blue Diamond Society

The Government of Nepal and the Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, and Social Security, can set a strong precedent in the region through the implementation of policies and programmes that protect and uplift LGBTIQ people, especially given the current political and legal backdrop in which advocacy spaces are shrinking and hard-fought progress is under threat. The renaming of the Ministerial mandate and the commitment to visibility and inclusion for the rights of  gender and sexual minorities in Nepal creates impetus for the government to deliver on direct and targeted policy interventions. We reiterate our support for this strong stance towards human rights, dignity, equality, and inclusion for people with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations in Nepal.