On October 6, 2026, our Founder and Executive Director Nidhi Goyal participated as a panellist in the panel, “Intersectionality and Gender Equality,” at SAHABHAGITA: A National Stakeholder Consultation on Strengthening Intersectional Inclusion in Local Governance. The session took place in New Delhi, and brought together experts to examine how overlapping forms of disadvantage shape participation, access to services, and opportunities for marginalised communities, and was organised by Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion, in collaboration with Anchal Charitable Trust, under the “Collective Inclusive Action byCivil Society Organizations in Odisha Project,” implemented by Humanity & Inclusion (HI) in partnership with SADHANA, EKTA and SMRC.
Nidhi joined fellow panellists Sneha Mishra, Secretary, Aaina, and Dr. Sangeeta Sharma Dhaor, Professor, University of Delhi. The session was moderated by Savvy Jain of Anchal Charitable Trust and included an audience of 65 participants.
Drawing on her work at the intersection of gender and disability, Nidhi emphasised 3 critical priorities for creating more inclusive movements and organisations: building the capacity of women with disabilities, creating pathways to leadership rather than limiting participation to inclusion, and amplifying their voices and perspectives. It is imperative to build awareness at the grassroots level to strengthen movements. She highlighted how women and girls with disabilities can often find themselves stuck between movements and excluded from meaningful decision-making. Nidhi stressed that representation must go beyond merely being in the room.
Creating space for women with disabilities to exercise leadership and decision-making power is essential to advancing gender-equitable participation and strengthening movements.