KATHMANDU – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted that the government will not tolerate any sort of gender-based discrimination and violence.
In a message released on the occasion of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, PM Oli reaffirmed the government’s efforts to optimize the resources of the State and enhance the living standards of women to help build a prosperous society thereby securing their rights and welfare.
“I urge every individual, families, society and all those concerned ones to be sensitive towards the violence survivors and work to protect and promote their rights,” reads the message. PM Oli has called for the elimination of all types of ill-traditions and malpractices and factors that cause violence.
Stating that Nepal has embraced the principle of gender equality in all sectors, the PM said, “Nepal has also adopted zero-tolerance policy towards violence of all sorts and was implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women-1979 among others that Nepal is signatory to.”
According to him, the government has forwarded a women-centric policy, law, planning, structure and programme to advance the cause of gender in the country.
The Head of the Government has also opined that the legal provisions alone cannot end the cases of gender-violence. Hence, he has pointed out the need for social campaigns to raise inner awareness.
He informed that over 14,600 women were elected in various tiers of government in the last three-tier elections. “Women’s representation in local level stands at 41 per cent, 35.5 per cent in State level and 33.5 per cent in Federal level,” he said in the message, adding,” It has been an encouraging and inspiring representation for the South Asia and other countries in the world.”
The message acknowledges the pivotal role women are playing in various sectors. The PM views such women as a catalyst for change. “Despite this, the cases of discrimination in the name of traditions and practices like Chhaupai, trafficking, labour exploitation, witchcraft accusation, sexual assault, rape, murder, acid attacks were occurring and they were an ignominy in the name of human civilization,” he lamented.
On the occasion, PM Oli shared that the National Gender Equality policy is in the process of being endorsed in the council of ministers.
According to him, an ordinance for ensuring the treatment, compensation and taking strong action against the preparatory has also been issued.
He appealed everyone to be aware about the possibility of violence against women that could occur during the COVID-19 pandemic and called for cooperation and commitment from all quarters to help end gender-based violence.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls, is observed from November 25 to December 10.
