Sanjiya Shrestha

What ignited your pursuit for gender equality?

Even today, there are cultural practices that influence gender discrimination where women are facing the double burden of accomplishing traditionally defined gender roles and walking up with the modern time. Women with disabilities like me have another layer of burdens to shoulder. I want to thrash out against this triple burden and show the world that nothing can stop me from living my life as I want. I want to motivate the rest of my community and lead towards living in the world we are born to flourish.

Please share your biggest wins as an advocate for gender equality.

An issue of sexual and reproductive health is still a huge taboo in my country, Nepal, where cultural values are given utmost importance. In this context, having a disability becomes an additional challenge in the stereotypical community like of mine. One of my biggest wins was to have the opportunity to work as a peer educator at the Family Planning Association of Nepal. Being a part of this agency, I have been working in the sector of SRHR, conducting various training sessions to educate and make people aware of gender and sexual and reproductive health issues, organizing health camps in various rural communities and explaining about contraceptives and birth control measures for persons with disabilities. I have also taken personal initiatives to spread knowledge about menstrual hygiene to the youth and school-aged children of different educational institutions.

Outside of your gender equality advocacy work, what do you enjoy doing?

I have a keen interest in acting since my childhood and have dreamt of being an actress. Recently, I received a wonderful opportunity to play a role in a short movie that is under production. I am one of the first blind models in my country Nepal and have walked on a runway in fashion events and participated in photoshoot indorsing products. To the world, it might sound impossible to witness a blind girl draw and paint her heart out in a portrayal, but for me, sketching the scenery and image I see provides me immense joy. Not only cherishing the art on paper, I am also into depicting my feelings through dance during my leisure. I am also highly interested in studying about religion, culture, and holy books. Similarly, I love hosting events and one day hope to conduct radio and television programs too.