Dev is a human rights lawyer and disability rights leader, scholar and activist. In 2006, he established Equip for Equality Nepal (EEN), an organisation devoted to the promotion of democracy and human rights in Nepal. For over 20 years, Dev has been working to promote disability rights in Nepal and internationally.
Currently, Dev serves as the Executive Director of Equip for Equality Nepal (EEN). In this position, he leads a dynamic team responsible for the development, implementation, and replication of innovative projects such as ‘Overcoming the Barriers that Refugees and Internally Displaced People with Disabilities Face in Accessing Higher Education in Nepal.’
Dev believes that effective writing plays a vital role in changing society, and he writes blogs, academic papers, and news articles both nationally and international to help alleviate injustice and inequity. He writes about a wide range of topics including disability rights, women’s empowerment, labour rights, and climate change.
Dev’s work has immeasurably benefitted the lives of persons with disabilities in Nepal, cementing him as one of the leading voices for the protection of persons with disabilities, especially girls and women with disabilities in Nepal. Working to advance human rights and social justice, particularly in support of persons with disabilities, is Dev’s life’s calling. Dev sheds light on systemic inequities, amplifies the voices of those directly affected, and boldly calls for wholesale transformation of existing systems.
Today, Dev’s work has impacted more than two million persons with disabilities worldwide, especially in South Asian countries to dismantle barriers to persons with disabilities’ social, economic, and political participation. He has achieved significant success in litigation to put an end to discriminatory practices in the electoral system. He has successfully brought accountability to egregious forms of police abuse and misconduct. Similarly, he has fought for the right to education for persons with disabilities and helped establish the first audio library in Nepal for visually impaired students.
Dev holds a Master in Laws (LLM) in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy from the University of Galway, Ireland and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. He holds a Master in Population Studies (MA), a Bachelor in Science (BSc), and a Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.) from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu.
The relentless struggle and resilience of those seeking social justice amidst structural violence and disability rights violations inspire me. I am inspired by the authenticity of my father who was working in his own way to create a more equitable world.Dev Datta Joshi