Advocacy

Social Justice Initiatives

Rooted in lived experience of inequality and empowered by knowledge from Nepal's health systems, my social justice work is driven by one conviction: that equitable governance is not charity — it is responsibility.

Home›Advocacy›Social Justice
Social Justice and Community Work

Policy Focus Areas

Health Equity & Policy Reform

Universal access, pharmaceuticals, NHI

Gender Justice & Inclusion

Women's rights and participation

Pro-Poor Welfare

Social protection & rural livelihoods

Social Justice

Evidence-Based Advocacy
for an Inclusive,
Equitable Nepal

My social justice work is inseparable from my professional life. As a public policy professional with deep expertise in health systems, public finance, and governance, I believe that systemic inequity is a policy failure — and policy failures can be corrected with the right evidence, the right will, and the right voices in the room.

Having grown up in a remote Okhaldhunga village and risen through Nepal's civil service, I carry a rare dual perspective: the lived reality of marginalisation and the technical expertise to translate that reality into reform. My advocacy spans health equity, gender justice, disability inclusion, pro-poor welfare, and education — all areas where Nepal's policy frameworks must be strengthened to deliver justice, not just services.

Social justice is not a gift the powerful give to the marginalised. It is a right that must be designed into every policy, every budget, and every governance structure.
Policy Research My Story
Focus Areas

Areas of Social Justice Advocacy

Health Equity & Universal Coverage

Nepal's health system remains deeply unequal — where you are born determines not just your quality of care but whether you receive any care at all. Through research published in global journals and engagement with Ministry of Health policy processes, I advocate for evidence-based, equitable health financing including the development of Nepal's National Health Insurance scheme, rational pharmaceutical policy, and improved service delivery in rural and indigenous areas.

Gender Justice & Women's Empowerment

Despite constitutional guarantees, gender inequity remains entrenched in Nepal's governance, health outcomes, and social structures. My advocacy focuses on ensuring women's meaningful participation in political processes, strengthening legal protections against gender-based violence, and challenging systemic barriers that limit women's access to education, property rights, and economic opportunity — particularly in rural and indigenous communities.

Pro-Poor Welfare & Social Protection

Effective social protection systems are the foundation of a just society. I advocate for strengthened social security programmes that reach Nepal's most vulnerable citizens — the rural poor, elderly, single women, and persons with disabilities — with adequate, dignified, and rights-based support. This includes work on improving targeting, reducing leakage, and ensuring accountability in welfare delivery systems.

Disability Inclusion & Accessibility

Nepal's disability community continues to face structural exclusion from public services, economic participation, and political representation. Drawing on Nepal's obligations under the CRPD and UNDRIP, I support efforts to mainstream disability inclusion into public policy design, infrastructure standards, and public sector employment — ensuring that accessibility is not an afterthought but a design principle.

Good Governance & Anti-Corruption

Social justice cannot exist without accountable governance. My work within Nepal's civil service, including service in PM Balen's reform-focused secretariat, reflects my conviction that good governance is the enabling condition for all social progress. This includes advocacy for transparency, merit-based appointments, institutional accountability, and citizen-responsive service delivery mechanisms.

Education Equity & Access

My own journey — walking hours each way to school, earning three master's degrees, and reaching Harvard — began with access to education. I advocate relentlessly for equitable access to quality education across Nepal's geographical and social divides, including scholarships for rural students, investment in public school infrastructure, and mother-tongue-based multilingual education for indigenous children.

42%
Population Below Poverty Line (2001)
20%
Health Budget of Total Spend
33%
Women in Parliament
2.3M
Persons with Disability in Nepal
Personal Reflection

"I grew up in a community where people were strong, dignified, and deeply connected to land and culture. Their struggles taught me the true value of identity. I carry Okhaldhunga — and the Sunuwar people — into every room I enter."

Tula Raj Sunuwar

Under Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister · Sunuwar Indigenous Community

Related Advocacy

Explore Other Areas

Indigenous Rights

Born Sunuwar — advocating for cultural preservation, land rights, and indigenous political representation.

Learn More

UN Commission Work

International engagement through World Bank projects, GPPN conferences, and ISPOR global networks.

Learn More

Community Engagement

Grassroots leadership, disaster response, public health awareness, and sustainable tourism advocacy.

Learn More