Workshop report: Partnerships for better data availability and use on indigenous people in Nepal

In August 2023, a workshop was held in Kathmandu to discuss and raise awareness to data on indigenous peoples in Nepal. Participants from state institutions and non-governmental organizations were introduced to- and discussed opportunities and limitations of existing data, including official data and the citizen-generated data collected by indigenous peoples using the framework of the Indigenous Navigator.

The workshop concluded that there is a significant gap when it comes to disaggregated data on indigenous peoples in Nepal, especially concerning their status on a wide range of development indicators within the fields of health, education, employment, landownership etc. The gap is not only a matter of data not being collected, but also a matter of the collected data not always being trusted, processed and/or disseminated in a digestible format.

Four points for collaboration have been identified as a result of the interaction during the workshop:

1. Validation of the existing data from the Indigenous Navigator
2. Review/co-development of methodology for future Indigenous Navigator data collection
3. Improvement and utilization of official data
4. Advocacy and advice to government

The report from this workshop points to the way forward by (a) presenting the data available on indigenous peoples including government data, the data collected by the indigenous peoples themselves using the Indigenous Navigator and other relevant data sources (b) diving into the four action points and proposed areas of collaboration and (c) articulating the main recommendations from the participants of the workshop.