FOREWORD Democracy can be institutionalized and sustained only through holding of periodic elections. To ensure equal and effective participation of all citizens in elections, the entire electoral cycle should be accessible to all, including voter education, voter registration, voting and counting processes, to name a few. This research study “Participation of Marginalized Communities in Nepal’s 2017 House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly Elections: Status and Barriers” aims to unfold the existing challenges and barriers faced by people from marginalized communities while participating in the electoral cycle. The Nepal Voters’ Rights Forum (NVRF) is hopeful that this report will be a useful reference for those who are working towards mainstreaming people from marginalized communities in the electoral processes, and creating an enabling environment to ensure they fully participate in future elections in Nepal. In addition, the report also aids understanding with regard to various dimensions and challenges to the holding of effective and participatory elections in Nepal. I would like to thank the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) for their support in implementing this study. I would also like to thank Dr. Subas Risal, lead researcher, and all the enumerators for their tireless work in gathering relevant information, and bringing the report to its current shape. I also would like to thank all central and district level board members and staff of NVRF for their continuous support towards our mandate of advocating for the rights of voters, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, gender, or other forms of discrimination. Bhakta Bishwakarma National President Nepal Voters’ Rights Forum (NVRF) Kathmandu, Nepal