Manisha Dhakal

Memebr

Manisha Dhakal is self-identified transgender woman. Her gender pronoun is she/her. She is LGBTIQA+ rights activist from Nepal. She has been involved in Nepal’s LGBTIQA+ rights movement since 2001. She was the first Trans woman in Nepal to be a member of Country Coordinating Mechanism of Global Fund.

Manisha is currently the Executive Director of Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Nepal’s pioneer LGBTIQA+ rights organization & former president of Federation of Sexual and Gender Minorities of Nepal.

Regionally, Manisha is one of the founding members of the Asia-Pacific Transgender Network. She was one of the former Co-Chair of ILGA Asia Board.

She was awarded the “Nai Ram Laxmi” National award in 2010 for her contributions to the LGBTIQA+ movement in Nepal and she is also recognized by Nepal Government from Jana Sewa Shree National Award in 2021. She is also awarded the Elizabeth Taylor Human Rights Award and Ardhanareeswara Award in 2024. On 21 December 2007, the Supreme Court of Nepal issued a landmark verdict directing the government to enact laws enabling equal rights to LGBT citizens. Manisha was involved in court pleadings on this case on behalf of LGBTI people before the Supreme Court.