Kathmandu, June 9: As many as 300 people from sexual and gender minority community in Kirtipur municipality are said to be in contact with Samarpan Savya Samaj Nepal (SSSN), a non-governmental organisation educating children of the third gender parents.

This has been revealed when the local level asked for data as part of the campaign to make educational institutions friendly with children of the third gender parents, said Hani Maharjan, SSSN’s secretary. The office of Kirtipur Ward No 3 has asked for data to launch an awareness campaign, he said.

Stating that it is the state’s responsibility to collect data of the community, SSSN’s volunteer Namastika Shrestha however rued the ignorance of the ward about the SGM community.

“The ward chair doesn’t know anything about our community,” he said referring to the fact that the ward has not yet launched any programme targeting the community.

Failure of the National Statistics Office to collect data of the community has affected the government bodies, he said. “I am a third gender. Many friends like me have come in contact. 300 people are in contact with us,” he said, “Failure of the government to collect data of the community has led to the difficulty to advocate for its need.”

Manindra Singh Danuwar, the second Mr. Gay Handsome Nepal, has blamed the conflict of interest of some limited people for the delay in collecting data of the community.

Why was data under “other” identity missing?

The Statistics Office did not specifically count sexual and gender minorities in the 2078 national census, promising to separately count data of the community for the current fiscal year, 2023/24. However, the count could not take place due to the inability to make an agreement with the Ministry of Finance, said the office’s deputy director Dhundi Raj Lamichhane.

According to estimated data with the office, the number of citizens with “other” gender identity based on household census is 2,928.

He however said that the Statistics Office plans to conduct a survey of SGM community for the next FY, 2024/25. “Now let’s say that the community will be counted next year,” he said, “Until it is implemented, we cannot say anything about it.”

SGM organisations, including the Blue Diamond Society and Mitini Nepal, have opposed to the inclusion of the community under “other” gender category. They have instead advocated for identifying the community as male or female even by opting for gender reassignment or hormone therapy. Hindrance by such organisations has led to a halt in the count of the community, according to a source.

Meanwhile, Maya Gurung, President of Mayako Pahichan Nepal, a non-governmental organisation advocating for the SGM rights, has demanded the commencement of the census immediately.