Not just a gentleman’s game
Women with disabilities in Nepal are proving that cricket is everyone’s game.
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in Nepal. The men’s team of Nepal is making quick progress in the international arena, often nicknamed as a gentleman’s game. They recently beat UAE to clinch the One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 series.
However, there are some highly motivated women in the country who are proving the game is not just reserved for ‘gentlemen’ anymore. It is everyone’s game.
In February 2019, Nepal Women's Blind Cricket team triumphantly returned home with a shiny trophy after winning the First International Women’s Blind Cricket Series held in Islamabad, Pakistan. This amazing achievement is just one example of the incredible potential of people with disabilities.
A billion people or 15 per cent of the world’s population experience some form of disability. Among them, 80 per cent live in developing countries like Nepal. They face huge barriers in reaching their full potential and experience some of the worst forms of discrimination.
Women and girls with disabilities often face multiple societal barriers, including stigma and violence. According to a UNFPA 2018 report, young women with disabilities face up to 10 times more gender-based violence than those without disabilities.
Discrimination against people with disability not only holds back individuals but it also holds a country’s development.
If provided with greater opportunity to reach their fullest potential, people with disability can contribute to the country’s development. The success story of Nepal Women's Blind Cricket team is a shining proof of this.
Our series against the Pakistan women blind cricket team is the first ever of its kind. We have really enjoyed the series, as well as travelling through the country. We hope that the Pakistan team could also come to Nepal and we can continue to play cricket.
The recent T-20 international series between blind women cricket teams of Nepal and Pakistan showed that sport is a platform that can change the lives of women and girls with disability, empowering them to realize their full potential and helping to reduce the existing gender stereotypes.
Nepal’s constitution prohibits all kinds of discriminations on the grounds of disability. People with disabilities have the provision for equal access to basic services and rights including healthcare, education, social assistance and employment.
People with disabilities have the provision for equal access to basic services and rights including healthcare, education, social assistance and employment. Now is the time for all of us to break down the barriers that people with disabilities face in their everyday lives. So let’s work together for an inclusive society!
