Activists, female leaders stress effective application of women rights

Kathmandu / December 2: Women leaders and women rights activists have pressed for formulation of further strong laws and its effective implementation stating that the cases of violence against women (VAW) were on rise in several parts of the country.

In an interaction programme organized here today by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCS) on the sidelines of 16-day activism against gender violence, they wailed that many women-oriented acts and laws were yet to be implemented.

Ranju Kumari Jha, Chairperson of the Women, Children, Senior Citizen and Social Welfare Committee under the Legislature-Parliamen spoke of the need for the women to further struggle for additional rights while safeguarding the new women-oriented provisions.

Similarly, CPN (UML) leader Binda Pandey said that it was imperative to promote women’s representation from local level in order to ensure their representation in higher tiers of political parties and in state organs.

She was of the opinion that many women in Nepal were bearing the brunt of various forms of violence due to witchery and dowry.

Likewise, MoWCS Secretary Madhu Regmi and the Ministry’s Joint Secretary Radhika Aryal shared that the Ministry had been focusing on the quake-hit women and children in its programmes.

Ramesh Dhakal, Joint-Secretary of Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, refuting the claim of women rights activists that there was no implementation of women rights and laws, said that the State had been addressing the cases of VAW upon its occurrence.

Also, speaking at the programme, Manu Humagain, Spokesperson of National Women Commission (NWC) pointed out the need to spread awareness to end the VAW.

Various women rights activists Tulasa Amatya, Rama Ale Magar and Bishnu Kumari Adhikari among others underlined the formulation of a tough law against rape and its effective implementation. RSS