Expression of Interest (EOI): Consultant for Legal Research

Scope of Work

Nepal Disabled Women’s Association (NDWA) is seeking a qualified consultant to support legal research on gender stereotyping and discrimination against women and girls with disabilities, with a focus on how these barriers impact their access to justice in Nepal.

The research aims to promote more inclusive and equitable access to justice by identifying harmful gender and disability stereotypes embedded in laws, policies, and day to day justice-system practices. Such stereotypes, reinforced through legal frameworks, procedures, and courtroom dynamics can contribute to systemic discrimination and undermine the human rights of women and girls with disabilities, particularly their rights to non-discrimination, equality before the law, access to justice, and protection from inhuman or degrading treatment.

Key Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the NDWA team, the consultant will:

1. Conduct comprehensive legal and contextual research to develop an accessible country guide on discrimination and stereotyping against women and girls, including those with disabilities, in Nepal’s justice system.

For above, draft a research paper that includes the following components:

• International and regional frameworks governing gender and disability stereotypes in access to justice.
• National legislative and policy frameworks in Nepal (including civil and criminal justice systems), and the extent to which they reflect or challenge gender- and disability-based discrimination and harmful stereotypes.
• Analysis of emerging jurisprudence and legal practices in cases involving women and girls, particularly in relation to gender-based violence.
• Identification of how gender and disability stereotypes manifest in courtroom processes and judicial reasoning.
• Good practices and practical recommendations for addressing and overcoming harmful gender and disability stereotypes in justice systems.

The consultant will follow a methodology guide provided by the NDWA team. The final output will be a concise, user-friendly guide that strengthens the capacity of justice system actors and duty-bearers to respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights of women and girls—especially those with disabilities—in their pursuit of justice.

Key Requirements

• Knowledge of Nepal’s civil and criminal justice systems, including applicable legal frameworks along with CEDAW, CRC, CRPD
• Proven expertise in gender, gender-based violence, and disability rights;
• Master’s degree in law, political science, social science, or a related field (a specialization in international human rights law is an advantage);
• Strong analytical and legal writing skills in both Nepali and English;
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and participatory research methodologies.

Duration

Total duration of the consultation: 50 days, or 2 months (including outside the valley)

Reports and Deliverables

• Preliminary work plan, desk- based research.
• Attend NDWA collaborated seven close meetings with the justice sector actors based in Kathmandu.
• Attend the NDWA led national consultation and three field based consultation.
• Updated report after consultation with stakeholders
• Final guideline report (in both Nepali and English)

Deadline for Application: 18th July, 2025

Submission:

Applications should be sent to “vacancy@ndwa.org.np”, with the subject line: "Application for legal research”

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following:

• Relevant qualifications and experience - 40%
• Quality and feasibility of the technical proposal – 30%
• Cost-effectiveness of the financial proposal – 20%
• Feedback from references or review of past work samples – 10 %