Nidhi Goyal
About
A disabled feminist activist from India, Nidhi Goyal has been working on disability rights and gender justice for a decade and using comedy as a medium to express her experiences since childhood in a lighthearted way.
She loved painting and wanted to be a portrait artist but was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disorder at the age of 15 which came as a big blow to her dream.
But fifteen years down the line, she became a blind activist working for gender justice and the rights of the disabled.
Nidhi also took up stand-up comedy, becoming India's first blind comedian, trying to break the silence on topics of relationship and sexuality with reference to disabled people.
She decided to take up stand-up comedy on the suggestion of queer rights activist Pramada Menon and realised that she was a natural.
Nidhi currently works with a range of national and global women's and human rights organizations. She is the founder and director of 'Rising Flame' a Mumbai based NGO working for persons with disabilities with a focus on women and youth with disabilities. She is also the Sexuality and Disability Program Director at Mumbai-based non-profit 'Point of View'.
Awards and Accomplishments
Awards and Accomplishments
Nidhi has been appointed to the prestigious civil society advisory group of UN women’s Executive Director, sits on the advisory board of ‘Voice’ a grant-making facility by the Dutch Ministry and has been globally elected on the board of AWID (Association for Women’s Rights in Development).
She has been invited to join the core group of persons with disabilities by the National Human Rights Commission, India, and is on the diversity and inclusion task force of ‘FICCI’.
She has just completed her term as ‘President of Association for Women’s Rights in Development’ and as a global advisor to UN Women’s Executive Director.
Why Nidhi Goyal ?
Nidhi Goyal, a disability rights and gender justice activist, has been committed to changing the lives of persons with disabilities. She has worked with a range of National and global women’s rights, disability rights, and human rights organizations.Through activism and humor, she challenges stereotypes, asks difficult questions, speaks out on things that society considers taboo, and fearlessly leads to bring a change.
