PM Oli extends best wishes on International Women’s Day; President stresses for women empowerment

File photo of Nepali women.

Kathmandu / March 8: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has called on all to join hands in the government campaign for the empowerment of women.

In his message of best wishes today on the occasion of the 106th International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Oli has wished all the women across the country for their happiness, peace and progress, pledging his best to establish the culture in which women will be treated with respect and same as the men.

He urged all Nepali sisters and brothers to be the meaningful part of the government policy of zero-tolerance against gender-based violence as women population makes up over fifty per cent of the country’s total population as well as the campaign for women empowerment.

Nepal’s constitution has guaranteed women’s right to safe motherhood and reproductive health and prohibited any sorts of violence against women. The government has given top priority to women’s issues, and their meaningful participation in the government policy, programmes and action plans, the Prime Minister added.

The government has brought a five-year national strategy and action plan related to the elimination of gender-based violence and gender empowerment-2069.

Nepal is already a signatory of the UN conventions on human and women rights including International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights-1966, and the Convention on Elimination of All Firms of Violence against Women, the PM said in the message. However, despite government efforts, plans and priorities for building an equitable, prosperous and just society with improvements of the lives of women, women of Nepali still have a less access to quality education, basic health facilities, employment opportunities and politics, reads the statement. The government is fully committed to bridging these long- existing gaps with the empowerment of women, the message adds.

Meanwhile, in her message on the occasion, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has stressed on women empowerment, capacity building, security and their meaningful participation in state organs to improve present living condition of women.

The President has wished that the Day may inspire all to work for the rights, betterment and empowerment of women.

Despite efforts from the policy-level and legal ground for ensuring the rights of women since past, the overall condition of the Nepali women is yet to go up as anticipated, the President said, adding that the constitution of Federal Democratic Republic Nepal has enshrined several provisions friendly to women empowerment. The President is of the view of utilising such instruments and achievements to the largest extent by creating a legal, policy-level and structural base for its implementation for the empowerment of Nepali women.

Likewise, Speaker Onsari Gharti has extended her best wishes to all Nepali sisters and brothers at home and abroad on the same occasion. The Legislature-Parliament will always work for building an equitable society, the Speaker said, expressing her confidence that Nepali women would also make efforts on their own to get their rights ensured. Women-related issues incorporated in the new constitution are an achievement of Nepali women’s long struggle for their rights, the Speaker further said.

The 2016 theme for International Women’s Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. RSS